Abstract. Colloidal suspensions of charged gibbsite platelets at salt concentrations of 10⁻² M and below and with a sufficiently high particle concentration form a kinetically arrested, glassy state. We study the evolution of the glassy state in suspensions of three different gibbsite systems. Despite differences in size and polydispersity, we observe small, iridescent grains of the hexagonal columnar phase, for all these systems after periods of months to years. The connections between this devitrification phenomenon and the structure of the glassy state are discussed.

Print publication: Issue 47 (25 November 2009)
Received 17 April 2009, in final form 8 July 2009
Published 5 November 2009