Gravitational compression of colloidal gels.

We study the compression of depletion gels under the influence of a gravitational stress by monitoring the time evolution of the gel interface and the local volume fraction, φ, inside the gel. We find φ is not constant throughout the gel. Instead, there is a volume fraction gradient that develops and grows along the gel height as the compression process proceeds. Our results are correctly described by a non-linear poroelastic model that explicitly incorporates the φ-dependence of the gravitational, elastic and viscous stresses acting on the gel.