We investigate the depletion induced phase separation in mixed suspensions of colloidal spheres with diameter σ and colloidal rods with length L and diameter D. Using an extension of the free volume method developed by one of us [H.N.W. Lekkerkerker and A. Stroobants, Physica A 195, 387 (1993)], we calculate the phase diagrams for L⩽σ and various L/D ratios. For long thin rods, the volume fractions of rods needed to induce phase separation scale as D2/Lσ. Good agreement with recent experimental results is obtained.
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Vliegenthart et al. (1999) studied this question.
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