Agglomeration in liquid media

Although fine dry powders present difficulties such as dusting losses and other handling hazards, finely divided materials in liquids are also difficult to deal with. The size of the individual particles is often so small that methods to capture them (such as filtration or gravity sedimentation) are not feasible unless some form of size enlargement is applied. 

Size enlargement of fine particles in liquid suspension can be accomplished in a number of ways. Electrolytes can be added to a suspension to cause a reduction in zeta potential and allow colliding particles to cohere. Examples include the use of trivalent aluminum and iron ions to flocculate the particles responsible for the turbidity of many water supplies and the flocculation of metallurgical slimes by pH adjustment to the isoelectric point. Alternatively, polymeric flocculants can be added to suspensions to bridge between the particles. A wide range of such polymeric agents [1] is available today to aid the removal of fine particles from water. 

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Agglomeration in liquid media Fine coal preparation Sphere formation... 

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