A Fierro et al 2009 J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 21 504110 doi:10.1088/0953-8984/21/50/504110
A Fierro1,2, T Abete2, A de Candia1,2,3, E Del Gado4 and A Coniglio1,2,3
Show affiliationsWe describe the sol–gel transition by introducing an order parameter, defined as the average of local variables, and its fluctuations. It can be shown that these quantities are related to percolation quantities, but in principle they can be measured without resorting to connectivity properties. In this framework it appears that the dynamical transition associated with gelation is a real thermodynamic transition, as happens in spin glasses. The strong analogies between the sol–gel transition and the spin glass transition are also discussed.
75.50.Lk Spin glasses and other random magnets
81.20.Fw Sol-gel processing, precipitation
75.30.Kz Magnetic phase boundaries (including magnetic transitions, metamagnetism, etc.)
65.60.+a Thermal properties of amorphous solids and glasses: heat capacity, thermal expansion, etc.
Issue 50 (16 December 2009)
Received 7 May 2009, in final form 13 July 2009
Published 23 November 2009
A Fierro et al 2009 J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 21 504110
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