Multi-component colloidal gels: interplay between structure and mechanical proprieties

TL;DR

This study uses numerical simulations to explore how multi-component colloidal gels' structure influences their mechanical properties, revealing that increasing components softens the material and enhances its strain tolerance due to repulsive interactions.

Contribution

It provides new insights into how the interplay of different networks in colloidal gels affects their mechanical behavior, informing design of soft composite materials.

Findings

Increasing component number softens the gel.

Repulsive interactions enhance linear response.

Multi-component gels tolerate larger strains.

Abstract

We present a detailed numerical study of multi-component colloidal gels interacting sterically and obtained by arrested phase separation. Under deformation, we found that the interplay between the different intertwined networks is key. Increasing the number of component leads to softer solids that can accomodate progressively larger strain before yielding. The simulations highlight how this is the direct consequence of the purely repulsive interactions between the different components, which end up enhancing the linear response of the material. Our work {provides new insight into mechanisms at play for controlling the material properties and open the road to new design principles for} soft composite solids