Investigating soft matter
and interfacial dynamics
Colloid & Surface Chemistry
Group:
Rideal symposium: Rheology of soft matter, Belgrave Square,
London, 5 April 2005
 Soft
matter has properties between those of simple liquids and
solids. While soft matter does not flow like a simple fluid,
it is easily deformable by external stresses, electric or
magnetic fields, or even by thermal fluctuations. The structure
and dynamics at the mesoscopic scale determine these rheological
properties, which in turn control the function of the materials.
The main components of soft matter are usually colloids,
polymers and surfactants. Just a few of the industries using
soft materials are: adhesives, agrochemical, automotive, biotechnology,
construction, cosmetic, electronics, food, household goods,
packaging, paint, pharmaceuticals, plastics, printing and
transportation. In most cases, the rheological properties
of the materials are critical to performance, either during
manufacture or in the operation of the final product.
Both the SCI Colloid & Surface Chemistry Group (CSCG)
and the Royal Society of Chemistry Colloid & Interface
Science Group (CISG) were founded in large part as a result
of the efforts of Sir Eric Rideal. The CSCG Founder’s
Lecture was named in Sir Eric’s honour. The Sir Eric
Rideal Trust funded a Rideal Lecture which, although held
infrequently, was usually organised by the Faraday Division
(parent of the CISG). Over recent years, the colloid groups
of SCI and the RSC have developed a very close working relationship.
Last year the Trust supported the proposal of the Chairs of
the CSCG and the CISG — Andrew Howe and Brian Vincent,
both of whom are trustees — that the 2005 Founder’s
Lecture would be designated a Rideal Lecture. The event will
follow the AGMs of the colloid groups and a supporting symposium.
Funds from the Rideal Trust will be used for the Rideal Lecturer’s
expenses. If the 2005 event is successful, consideration will
be given to holding the Rideal Lecture annually, replacing
the Founder’s Lecture. The ideal location would continue
to be SCI international HQ, around Easter.
The Rideal Lecturer for 2005 is Dr James Goodwin, whose lecture
is entitled ‘The Rheological Challenges of Soft Matter’.
Dr Godwin is the Managing Director of Interfacial Dynamics
Corporation, which he co-founded in 1981 and which is now
part of Invitrogen Life Technologies. Previously he was the
Deputy Director of the Bristol Colloid Centre at the University
of Bristol, UK, where he was a reader in Physical Chemistry
until 1996. In addition he was the Chairman of Bohlin Reologi
UK from 1985 to 1989. He has also been a consultant for many
international chemical companies and is a past Chairman of
the CISG.
With a research group at Bristol he has worked for over 30
years on the rheology of many types of concentrated dispersions,
polymer solutions, associative thickeners and surfactants,
as well as interparticle forces in concentrated systems. Publications
consist of about 100 articles in the scientific literature
on such widely diverse topics as the preparation of polymer
colloids, the rheology of clays, latices, blood, self-associating
polymers and microgels as well as particle scattering and
the influence of nutrition on multiple sclerosis. Dr Goodwin
has edited three books on colloidal systems and is co-author
of the textbook titled Rheology for chemists. His latest book,
Colloids and Interfaces with polymers and surfactants, was
published by Wiley in 2004 and the paperback edition is already
in its second printing. He currently divides his time between
his work in Portland, Oregon, US, and his home outside Bath
in the UK.
The first lecture in this symposium will be given by Paul
Reynolds of the Bristol Colloid Centre on ‘Emulsion polymerisation
using Zwitterionic surfactant stabilisers’. Andrew Howe
of the Surface and Colloid Science Group at Kodak will describe
some aspects of colloids, polymers and surfactants in photography
under the title of ‘Nanotechnology in Aspic’. Paul
Luckham of Imperial College of Science Technology and Medicine
will discuss some important aspects of soft matter in ‘Understanding
the rheology of steric stabilised systems’. After a break,
Geoff Maitland from the Schlumberger Cambridge Research Laboratory
will describe applied aspects of soft matter with ‘From
mud to worms... the rheology and colloid science of oil recovery.’
The perception of soft matter is the subject of the Bristol
Colloid Centre’s Roy Hughes’ presentation, ’Adventures
in psychorheology’. The supporting symposium will be
closed by Tharwat Tadros, a consultant after a distinguished
career at ICI, with ‘Use of inulin (polyfructose) based
surfactants in emulsion polymerisation’.
Delegates will have the chance to relax with a glass of wine
before the main event starts at 6pm. After the Rideal Lecture,
there will be a conference dinner.
Members of SCI may attend for a fee of GB£35; there
are further reductions for students and retired Members, while
non-members can register for GB£80. The conference dinner
will cost GB£30. We are grateful to Wiley, publishers
for both SCI and Dr Goodwin, for their generous sponsorship
of this meeting.
For further information and to register, contact Jacqui Maguire
in the SCI conference office, T: +44 (0)20 7598 1562, F: +44
(0)20 7235 7743, E: jacqui.maguire@soci.org.
By Andrew Howe (Kodak Ltd),
Chair of the Colloid & Surface Chemistry Group
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