Experimental Verification of Morphological Instability in Freezing Aqueous Colloidal Suspensions

S. S. L. Peppin, J. S. Wettlaufer, and M. G. Worster
Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 238301 – Published 9 June 2008

Abstract

We describe an experimental test of a new theory of the unidirectional freezing of aqueous colloidal suspensions. At low freezing speeds a planar ice lens completely rejects the particles, forming a steady-state compacted boundary layer in the liquid region. At higher speeds the planar interface becomes thermodynamically unstable and breaks down geometrically to trap bulk regions of colloid within. The theoretical stability threshold is determined experimentally, thereby demonstrating that colloidal suspensions can be treated analogously to atomic or molecular alloys.

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  • Received 12 February 2008

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.238301

©2008 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

S. S. L. Peppin1 and J. S. Wettlaufer1,2

  • 1Department of Geology and Geophysics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA
  • 2Department of Physics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA

M. G. Worster

  • Institute of Theoretical Geophysics, Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Cambridge University, Cambridge CB3 0WA, United Kingdom

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Issue

Vol. 100, Iss. 23 — 13 June 2008

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