Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Phase Diagram Characterization Using Magnetic Beads as Liquid Carriers
Published on: September 4, 2015
Analytical phase diagram for colloid-polymer mixtures
Gerard J Fleer1, Remco Tuinier
1Laboratory of Physical Chemistry and Colloid Science, Wageningen University, 6703 HB Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
We present a theoretical analysis of the phase behavior of colloid-polymer mixtures which applies to all polymer/colloid size ratios q. It accounts for the crossover from a constant length scale R (radius of gyration) in the colloid limit (small q) to the concentration-dependent correlation length xi in the protein limit (q>1). We obtain predictions that fully agree with observations and simulations. In the protein limit the colloid concentrations eta along the binodals become independent of q and the polymer concentrations phi scale as q1/gamma, where gamma=0.77 is the scaling exponent in xi approximately phi(-gamma):phase diagrams plotted as phiq(-1/gamma) vs eta are then independent of q. The liquid window in the protein limit is narrow.
Related Concept Videos
The Colloidal State
Phase Diagrams of Ternary Systems
Phase Diagram
Phase Diagram
Phase Diagrams
Solid–Solid Solutions

