Shear-induced configurations of confined colloidal suspensions.
We show that geometric confinement dramatically affects the shear-induced configurations of dense monodisperse colloidal suspensions; a new structure emerges, where layers of particles buckle to stack in a more efficient packing. The volume fraction in the shear zone is controlled by a balance between the viscous stresses and the osmotic pressure of a contacting reservoir of unsheared particles. We present a model that accounts for our observations and helps elucidate the complex interplay between particle packing and shear stress for confined suspensions.
Department of Physics and Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, 9 Oxford Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.
Itai
I
Cohen
Thomas G
TG
Mason
David A
DA
Weitz