Colloidal systems are systems that have one or more of their characteristic length in the range 10 1000 nm. Suspensions are colloidal when the suspended particles are in the colloidal range. These particles can be solid (like mineral particles) or soft (like polymers or droplets). The suspending medium is a solvent that in colloidal models is assumed to have bulk properties. Porous media can also be seen as colloidal systems when the size of the pores is within the colloidal range. In all cases, the macroscopic properties of the system is governed by its interfacial properties. The behaviour of ions close to charged interfaces drives the electrical properties of the double layer and the fluid transport that results from the forces applied to the system.

Two main research lines are set within the Overbeek center:

MODELS : (1) improvement of generic colloidal models (2) Linking colloidal models to macroscopic transport and consolidation models in the frame of clay and sediment applications

EXPERIMENTS: (1) Combining and developping measurements techniques so as to connect micro and macro properties of colloidal systems. (2) Using specific electrokinetic techniques such as to validate colloidal models or engineer colloidal systems.