SEDIMENTATION EQUILIBRIUM OF ADHESIVE SPHERES IN A PLANAR GAP

The sedimentation equilibrium of adhesive spheres mimicking a system o f interacting spherical colloidal particles in suspensions in planar p ores is studied on the basis of the solution to the hypernetted chain/ Ornstein-Zernike equation. The increasing interparticle adhesive attra ction together with the gravity lead to the overall effect on particle s to occupy the region of lower altitudes. It is found that at suffici ently strong stickiness the adhesive fluid in the gap behaves as a 'co ndensation nucleus' for the condensation of particles from the bulk ph ase, the effect predominating the natural tendency of strongly adhesiv e particles to avoid the confined system. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B. V. All rights reserved.