Structure and flow of polyelectrolyte microgels: from suspensions to glasses

Polyelectrolyte microgels are soft particles due to their ability to de-swell osmotically. In dilute suspensions, they behave like soft Brownian particles. Above close-packing, they form pastes which share many features with glasses. The flow properties of suspensions and pastes are universal. They can be tuned at will to get the rheological behaviour which is desired. To cite this article: M. Cloitre et al., C R. Physique 4 (2003). (C) 2003 Academie des sciences/Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.