Liquid crystal transition of layered clay mineral colloids

Abstract

Isotropic to liqiud crystalline phase transition behaviors of aqueous colloids of clay minerals, fluorohectorite and tetrasilisicmica, are revealed. Textures with interference colors, which are typical of birefringent liquid crystalline colloids, were observed by optical microscopy of the colloids. Phase separation between isotropic and liquid crystal phases in a capillary were precisely examined for the colloids with varied concentration and particle sizes; it was clarified that the volume of liquid crystal phase in the colloid increases with increasing concentration and particle sizes.