Effective Attractive Range and Viscoelasticity of Colloidal Gels

Abstract: We present a simulation study of colloidal particles having very short range attractions. In particular, we investigate the interplay between the effective attractive range and the viscoelastic properties of the gels that form when the temperature of the system is sufficiently low. Using Brownian dynamics simulations we study particles with different size and interaction range, and characterize the mechanical properties of the gels by performing small amplitude oscillatory and transient starts-up shear simulations. We found that the effective attractive range is a key parameter affecting the gel viscoelastic properties. The crossover frequency between the storage and loss moduli and the time to reach the maximum stress in the start-up test are both simple functions of the effective attractive range.