Modeling the electrophoretic deposition of colloidal particles

This letter presents the results of numerical simulations of the buildup of a layer of colloidal particles on an electrode. In a low-frequency electri c field, particles suspended in a low-conductivity liquid migrate to one el ectrode and then to the other. During each cycle, deposits are formed and d issipated. The current-voltage characteristics of the process re ect proper ties of the suspension and the deposited layer. Using a flux corrected tran sport (FCT) algorithm, the transport equation for the particle phase is sol ved simultaneously with equations describing the electric field. The model reproduces the main features of the current-voltage relation.