DISPERSION OF LATEX-PARTICLES IN A NEMATIC SOLUTION .2. PHASE-DIAGRAMAND ELASTIC PROPERTIES

We have prepared colloidal suspensions of 600 Angstrom diameter latex polyballs in a lyotropic liquid crystal. The phase diagrams of the mix tures have been determined for a few values of the surfactant to water ratio. In the nematic phase, the particles remain suspended at high t emperatures but undergo a gas-liquid transition at lower temperatures. The elastic constants and rotational viscosity of the mixtures in the nematic phase have been measured using the Freedericksz transition te chnique. They are found to be insensitive to the presence of the parti cles up to a few percent in the particle concentration.