Brownian dynamics simulation of sediment formation of colloidal particles

The Brownian dynamics simulation method is used to study the sediment formation of colloidal particles by a process of irreversible single-particle accretion. The simulation method that is used is based on the algorithm of Ermak and McCammon with the incorporation of interparticle forces and hydrodynamic interactions on a two-particle level. The effect of the two-particle hydrodynamic interactions on the sediment structure is analyzed by means of comparison with simulations in which the hydrodynamic interactions are omitted. The colloidal interactions are described in terms of the Derjaguin–Landau–Verwey–Overbeek (DLVO) potential. The volume fractions of the sediments range from 0.09 to 0.37. It is shown that the process of sediment formation by colloidal particles is the result of a delicate balance of sedimenting field strength, DLVO interactions and hydrodynamic interactions.