Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 21, 2026

Confocal Imaging of Confined Quiescent and Flowing Colloid-polymer Mixtures
Published on: May 20, 2014
Effect of surface properties of elastomer colloids on their coalescence and aggregation kinetics
Cornelius Gauer1, Hua Wu, Massimo Morbidelli
1Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland.
Abstract:
We study the aggregation kinetics of two elastomer colloids with similar bulk polymer properties but with different surface charge groups in order to understand the role of the surface properties in particle coalescence during aggregation. It is confirmed that clusters of the elastomer particles stabilized purely by ionic surfactants coalesce in both reaction-limited and diffusion-limited aggregation (RLCA and DLCA) regimes and that the coalescence is independent of the coagulant type. On the other hand, clusters formed by elastomer particles stabilized by charged polymer end groups, which are fixed on the particle surface, are fractal objects with a fractal dimension of 1.7 in the DLCA and 2.1 in the RLCA regime. This indicates insignificant cluster coalescence during aggregation, most likely due to a hindrance effect of the fixed charges.
Related Concept Videos
Colloidal precipitates
The Colloidal State
Colloids
Factors Affecting Dissolution: Particle Size and Effective Surface Area
Coagulation
Precipitate Formation and Particle Size Control
The obtained precipitate should be either a pure substance of known composition or easily converted to one by a simple process, such as ignition or drying. In addition, the precipitate should be insoluble and easily filterable. In general, filterability...

