Phase separation in bimodal dispersions of sterically stabilized silica particles

Abstract

Binary mixtures of suspended, nearly hard-sphere, sterically stabilized colloidal silica particles of diameter ratio 6 were observed to phase-separate at comparable volume fractions of the two particle species. The occurrence of phase separation as a function of the particle concentrations was studied visually and by small-angle light scattering. The results support recent predictions by Biben and Hansen.