Abstract. Using the isospin-dependent quantum molecular dynamics model, we study the stability of the fragments and the thermalization achieved in the collision of a neutronrich colliding pair at energies where the maximum production of intermediate mass fragments (E max c.m. ) occurs. In particular, we check the stability of fragments through the persistence coefficient and gain term and information about the thermalization and stopping is obtained via the relative momentum, anisotropy ratio, and rapidity distribution. Our findings show a weak dependence of these quantities on the neutron content of the colliding pair.