Colloidal Gel — Percolation & Arrested Phase Separation

Colloidal particles with short-range attractions undergo spinodal decomposition into dense and dilute phases, but gelation can arrest this process, forming a space-spanning network. The gel transition occurs near the percolation threshold as particle clusters interconnect, trapping the system in a non-equilibrium solid-like state.

0.20
2.50
0.80
Percolation status
Largest cluster / N
Mean coord. number
Particles