Beyond diffusion-limited aggregation kinetics in microparticle suspensions

Aggregation in nondiffusion limited colloidal particle suspensions follows a temporal power-law dependence that is consistent with classical diffusion limited cluster aggregation models; however, the dynamic scaling exponents observed in these systems are not adequately described by diffusion limited cluster aggregation models, which expect these scaling exponents to be constant over all experimental conditions. We show here that the dynamic scaling exponents for 10 microm particles increase with the particle concentration and the particle-particle free energy of interaction. We provide a semiquantitative explanation for the scaling behavior in terms of the long-ranged particle-particle interaction potential.