Open AccessComputer Simulations of Colloids and Macromolecules Aggregate Formation
Author(s) -
Serge Stoll,
Jacques Buffle
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
chimia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.387
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 2673-2424
pISSN - 0009-4293
DOI - 10.2533/chimia.1995.300
Subject(s) - aggregate (composite) , colloidal particle , colloid , fractal , scaling , computer science , macromolecule , nanotechnology , scaling law , mechanism (biology) , statistical physics , biochemical engineering , biological system , chemistry , materials science , physics , engineering , mathematics , biology , mathematical analysis , biochemistry , geometry , quantum mechanics
Understanding colloidal aggregate structures and formation is one of the central issues of colloid science and a very important topic in many industrial, biological, and environmental processes. The aim of this paper is to review and to describe the basic computational aggregation models of colloidal particles and macromolecules, and their developments. The scaling and fractal concepts allowing a quantitative description of the aggregate structure are introduced. The influence of aggregation mechanism on the structure of the resulting aggregates is also discussed. Because of the complexity of these mechanisms, computer simulations combined to experimental verifications is a powerful tool to investigate and understand aggregation processes in many applications.