Rates of the colloid coagulation in the presence of irreversibly adsorbing and non‐adsorbing polymers

Abstract We have developed an analytic self‐consistent field theory of the effective interactions between nano‐ colloids mediated by irreversibly adsorbing polymers and non‐adsorbing polymers having a gyration radius much larger than that of colloids. By making use of this theory, we have calculated the potential of the polymer‐mediated forces for the above cases of polymer adsorption. On the basis of the obtained results for the polymer‐mediated potentials, we have obtained the stability ratio and rate of the coagulation in the presence of adsorbing and non‐adsorbing polymers. As a final result of our studies, we constructed the coagulation diagram that quantifies the combined effect of the Van der Waals and polymer‐mediated forces on the rate of colloid coagulation. Kinetic stability of the material‐specific colloid systems is discussed. POLYM. COMPOS., 2013. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers