Thixotropic destruction and secondary cluster growth of supramolecular crystals in the suspensions of silica monodisperse spherical particles

V.V. Serdobintseva, D.V. Kalinin, A.G. Okunev, J.V. Kuznetsova

Supramolecular crystals (SC) which appear in concentrated suspensions of monodispersed spherical silica particles (MSSP) can be mechanically destroyed. This destruction occurs because the bond between structural units (SU) in SC is weak and the interaction forces of SU become locally unbalanced. The SC are destroyed into microblocks with the initial SC structure. The nascent secondary suspension consists of these blocks (clusters). The secondary crystals grow from the clusters and when these clasters are large, the growth is of a dendritic character.

Secondary crystallization in the suspension with the limited volume, obtained by mechanic destruction of the initial fine-grained structure of the supramolecular crystals with complete crystallization of the volume followed by the formation of the larger elongated SC	Partial crystallization of volume followed by the formation of elongated (feathered) crystals. (1) – the volume of suspension
Partial crystallization with the signs of dendrite growth	Complete crystallization of volume followed by the formation of the isometric SC crystals. The crushing zone (2) of the initial SC and then the zone of plastic deformation (3) of the initial macrostructure are seen around the secondary crystals

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