Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 11, 2026

Confocal Imaging of Confined Quiescent and Flowing Colloid-polymer Mixtures
Published on: May 20, 2014
Dilatant flow of concentrated suspensions of rough particles
Didier Lootens1, Henri van Damme, Yacine Hémar
1PPMD, CNRS UMR 7615, ESPCI, Paris, France.
Abstract:
The flow anisotropy of a concentrated colloidal suspension at the jamming transition is studied. It is shown that the use of rough spherical particles reduces the hydrodynamic lubrication forces between adjacent colloids and makes possible the study of the stress tensor anisotropy. At low shear rates, the suspension exerts an attractive force between two opposite surfaces, whereas at higher shear rates it becomes dilatant. Direct confocal microscopy observation of the particles organization reveal that crystallites form at high shear rate.
Related Concept Videos
Colloids and Suspensions
Colloidal precipitates
The Colloidal State
Colloids
Coagulation
Turbulent Flow

