Linear viscoelastic properties of ordered latices

Abstract

The frequency-dependent behavior of the storage modulus G′ and loss modulus G″ has been measured for an ordered latex at different volume fractions. From these measurements the volume fraction dependency of the static shear modulus was obtained. The theoretical static shear modulus has been deduced from a stress tensor expression which only takes into account the electrostatic pair interactions between nearest neighbors. The electrostatic pair interaction is modeled adequately to account for the multiparticle environment of a particle and for high surface charges. The interactions are described by the linear superposition approximation for the pair interaction energy between two particles given by Bell et al. [J. Colloid Interface Sci. 33, 335 (1970)]. The apparent surface potential and the effective Debije screening length used in this expression are determined from the electrostatic potential which is numerically determined from the Poisson–Boltzmann equation in a spherical cell. The theoretical model is also compared with measurements of several other investigators. Most of the experimental data can be scaled to a single mastercurve resulting from the proposed theoretical model.