Brownian dynamics simulations of Laponite colloid suspensions

The study of colloidal suspensions of Laponite clay platelets by means of Brownian dynamics (BD) simulations was presented. A systematic study of two simple models for a synthetic clay by means of BD simulations was also presented. The two models considered were model A, a model with equally charged sites and model B, a model with rim charges of opposite sign. It was shown that these models mimic the Laponite's charge behavior when dispersed by a solvent at different pH conditions. The platelets carry discrete charged sites interacting via a Yukawa potential. The static and dynamic properties for both models, for two different values of the Debye length and several volume fractions that span a wide range of concentrations were also studied.