Particle trapping and banding in rapid colloidal solidification

Phys Rev Lett. 2011 Oct 14;107(16):168301. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.107.168301. Epub 2011 Oct 11.

Abstract

We derive an expression for the nonequilibrium segregation coefficient of colloidal particles near a moving solid-liquid interface. The resulting kinetic phase diagram has applications for the rapid solidification of clay soils, gels, and related colloidal systems. We use it to explain the formation of bandlike defects in rapidly solidified alumina suspensions.