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Physicochemical Effects in Aging Aqueous Laponite Suspensions

We study aging behavior of aqueous suspension of Laponite as a function of concentration of Laponite, concentration of salt, time elapsed since preparation of suspension (idle time) and temperature by carrying extensive rheological and conductivity experiments. We observe that temporal evolution of elastic modulus, which describes structural buildup and aging, shifts to low times for experiments carried out for higher concentration of Laponite, higher concentration of salt, greater temperature and on higher idle time while preserving the curvature of evolution in the solid regime. Consequently appropriate shifting of evolution of elastic modulus in the solid regime leads to aging time idle time salt concentration Laponite concentration temperature superposition. Existence of such superposition suggests generic nature of microstructure buildup irrespective of mentioned variables in the explored range. Behavior of shift factors needed to obtain the superposition indicate that energy barrier associated with structural buildup decreases with increase in idle time and temperature; and decreases linearly with increase in concentration of Laponite and that of salt. The conductivity experiments show that ionic conductivity of the suspension increases with increasing Laponite concentration, salt concentration, temperature and very importantly the idle time. We also analyze the interparticle interactions using DLVO theory that suggests increase in idle time, temperature and salt concentration increases height of repulsive energy barrier while decreases width of the same when particles approach each other in a parallel fashion. Analysis of rheological and conductivity experiments suggest strong influence of attractive interactions on the low energy structures in aqueous suspension of Laponite.