Interactions between spherical particles of monodisperse polystyrene latices

Abstract

Reliable results concerning the interaction of lyophobic colloidal particles can only be obtained from data concerning spherical and highly monodisperse systems. Polystyrene latices seem to be adequate. Coagulation kinetics gives the coagulation value, for which the Van der Waals attraction counterbalances approximately the Coulomb repulsion. Furthermore from the electrophoretic mobilities, we calculated the zeta potentials which we show to be a reasonable approximation for the potential governing the Coulomb repulsion. We considered also the effect of a viscoelectric correction. Thus we obtained repulsion energies. Finally, we calculated under different conditions the probable value of the Hamaker constant of polystyrene embedded in water and we compared theoretical and experimental data.