Participation of gravitational forces in the process of supramolecular crystallization in the system of monodisperse spherical silica particles (MSSP)

The thickness of the concentrated layer in the MSSP suspensions, which is sufficient to initiate phase transition into supramolecular crystals, has been experimentally determined and calculated. When the electrostatic repulsion predominates over molecular attraction, the transition occurs only if gravitational forces, which virtually act as molecular attracting forces, are involved.