Clay suspension

The major class of plate-like colloids is tliat of clay suspensions [21]. Many of tliese swell in water to give a stack of parallel, tliin sheets, stabilized by electrical charges. Natural clays tend to be quite polydisperse. The syntlietic clay laponite is comparatively well defined, consisting of discs of about 1 nm in tliickness and 25 nm in diameter. It has been used in a number of studies (e.g. [22]). 

Disc-like particles can also undergo an Onsager transition—here tire particles fonn a discotic nematic, where tire short particle axes tend to be oriented parallel to each other. In practice, clay suspensions tend to display sol-gel transitions, witliout a clear tendency towards nematic ordering (for instance, [22]). Using sterically stabilized platelets, an isotropic-nematic transition could be observed [119]. 

The coefficient Tj is termed the modulus of rigidity. The viscosities of thixotropic fluids fall with time when subjected to a constant rate of strain, but recover upon standing. This behavior is associated with the reversible breakdown of stmctures within the fluid which are gradually reestabflshed upon cessation of shear. The smooth sprea ding of paint following the intense shear of a bmsh or spray is an example of thixotropic behavior. When viscosity rises with time at constant rate of strain, the fluid is termed rheopectic. This behavior is much less common but is found in some clay suspensions, gypsum suspensions, and certain sols. 

Preparation of Pillared Clay Catalysts. PAG products are used for the preparation of zeolite-like catalysts by intercalation, the insertion of Al polycations molecules between the alurninosiHcate sheets of clay (3,33). Aqueous clay suspensions are slowly added to vigorously stirred PAG solutions, and the reaction mixture is aged for several hours. The clay is separated from the PAG solution and washed free of chloride ion. The treated clay is first dried at low temperature and then calcined in air at 450—500°G, producing a high surface area material having a regular-sized pore opening of about 0.6 to... 

Electroultrafiltration has been demonstrated on clay suspensions, electrophoretic paints, protein solutions, oil—water emulsions, and a variety of other materials. Flux improvement is proportional to the appHed electric field E up to some field strength E where particle movement away from the membrane is equal to the Hquid flow toward the membrane. There is no gel-polarization layer and (in theory) flux equals the theoretical permeate flux. It... 

Dimensions. Most coUoids have aU three dimensions within the size range - 100 nm to 5 nm. If only two dimensions (fibriUar geometry) or one dimension (laminar geometry) exist in this range, unique properties of the high surface area portion of the material may stiU be observed and even dominate the overaU character of a system (21). The non-Newtonian rheological behavior of fibriUar and laminar clay suspensions, the reactivity of catalysts, and the critical magnetic properties of multifilamentary superconductors are examples of the numerous systems that are ultimately controUed by such coUoidal materials. 

Time-dependent fluids are those for which structural rearrangements occur during deformation at a rate too slow to maintain equilibrium configurations. As a result, shear stress changes with duration of shear. Thixotropic fluids, such as mayonnaise, clay suspensions used as drilling muds, and some paints and inks, show decreasing shear stress with time at constant shear rate. A detailed description of thixotropic behavior and a list of thixotropic systems is found in Bauer and Colhns (ibid.). 

Substances that have been used as preservatives for disperse systems include chlorocresol, chlorobutanol, benzoates, phenylmercuric nitrate, parabens, and others [76,77]. The use of cationic antimicrobial agents such as quaternary ammonium compounds (e.g., benzalkonium chloride) is contraindicated in many cases because they may be inactivated by other formulation components and/or they may alter the charge of the dispersed phase. Clay suspensions and gels should be adequately preserved with nonionic antimicrobial preservatives. The use of preservatives is generally limited to products that are not intended for parenteral use. Intravenous injectable... 

Adsorption on Kaolinite. For kaolinite, the polymer adsorption density is strongly dependent on the solid/liquid ratio, S/L, of the clay suspension. As S/L increases, adsorption decreases. This S/L dependence cannot be due totally to autocoagulation of the clay particles since this dependence is observed even in the absence of Ca2+ at pH 7 and at low ionic strength where auto-coagulation as measured by the Bingham yield stress is relatively weak (21). Furthermore, complete dispersion of the particles in solvent by ultra-sonication before addition of... 

The intercalant solution was prepared by titration of an Al3+/ Fe3+cationic solution with 0.2 molL"1 NaOH. The cationic solution contained 0.18 and 0.02 molL"1 of A1C13 and FeCl3, respectively. The NaOH solution was slowly added to the cationic solution at 70°C until the OH/cation molar ratio was equal to 1.9. The intercalant solution was added to the clay suspension under stirring. The final ( Al+Fe) /clay ratio was equal to 3.8 mmol/g of dry clay. After aging for 24h, the pillared clay precursor was washed until total elimination of chloride ions, dried at 60°C and finally calcined at 500°C for 5h. The resulting material is (Al-Fe)PILC. 

Procedure. Initially, the flocculation procedure adopted was to add polymer to the clay suspension, stir rapidly for 15 seconds to ensure good mixing and then to flow the treated suspension through a 3 m length of coiled 1 mm diameter tubing. Tube flow is known to be an effective method of applying shear to a suspension and hence promoting orthokinetic flocculation (12). 

The method described here provides a convenient means of determining the specific filtration resistance of fairly dilute suspensions. Results for clay suspensions flocculated by cationic polymers show that the specific resistance gives a sensitive indication of flocculation and is a useful guide in the selection of optimum flocculant concentrations. In a series of trials not reported here, it has been shown that the specific resistance results are very well matched by re-filtration rate data, as expected. The results also agree well with other, unrelated techniques. For more concentrated suspensions, some discrepancies have been found between permeability methods and other measures of flocculation (4). 

Dispersant Activity Tests were conducted utilizing iron oxide and clay suspensions in order to establish the efficacy of the copolymers as dispersants for suspended particulate matter. Kaolin clay was used for the clay dispersion study. According to the procedure, separate 0.1% iron oxides and 0.1% clay suspensions in... 

Henry et al (23) have collected experimental data on cross-flow electro-filtration of Kaolin clay suspensions and oil-water emulsions. Since both the Kaolin particles and the oil droplets are negatively charged in aqueous suspensions, a direct electric field will always give higher filtration rates than cross-flow filtration alone. The level of improvement depends on the intensity of the fluid shear and the electric-field strength. Figures 47 and 48 present data for the Increase in flux with electric field strength for the oil-water emulsion and the clay suspension. 

Figure 48. Increase in flux with electric field strength on clay suspension (22)...

Figure 50. Flux as a function of Reynolds number for crossflow electrofiltration of a clay suspension at two different voltages (23)...

In various kinds of industrial production, materials need to be treated with charged colloidal particles. In such systems, the value of the zeta-potential analyses are needed to control production. For example, in paper, adhesive, and synthetic plastics, colloidal clay can be used as filler. In oil drilling, clay colloidal suspensions are used. The zeta potential is controlled so as to avoid clogging the pumping process in the oil well. It has been found that, for instance, the viscosity of a clay suspension shows a minimum when the zeta potential is changed (with the help of pH from 1 to 7) from 15 to 35 mV. Similar observations have been reported in coal slurry viscosity. The viscosity was controlled by the zeta potential. 

Mineral segregation in industry relies heavily on the selective adsorption of macromolecules onto the surfaces of those minerals that have particular industrial applications. This selectivity is governed mainly by the surface chemistry of the mineral and the type of polymer used as a flocculant. " Effectiveness of flocculation depends upon the charge, concentration and molecular weight of the polymer, and also the pH and salt concentration of the clay suspension. The bonding between the anionic flocculant polyacrylamide (PAM) and clay mineral surfaces has been effectively reviewed recently by Hocking et al and the reader is referred to this should they require an in-depth literature review. For more information on general colloidal chemistry of clay suspensions the reader is referred to the review of Luckham and Rossi." ... 

The Li ions were introduced in two different ways either before or after Zr intercalation. The montmorillonite (Weston L-Eccagun) was first exchanged with NaCl (IN) and washed. Two montmorillonites with reduced charge were prepared following the Brindley and Ertem method (13). Part of the Na+ montmorillonite was first saturated with LiCl (IN) and washed. The Li+ clay thus obtained and Na+ clay suspension were stirred for 24 hours at 25°C and dried on glass plate. The films were then heated at 220°C for 24 h in order to allow Li diffusion in the clay structure. Two different Li concentrations (F=0.4 and F=0.6) were used. The Na Li+ modified montmorillonite were dispersed in water acetone solution (1/1). The ZrOCla, 8H2O solution was added to the Na+Li+ montmorillonite (0.02g.l l Zr/Clay=5.CEC). The suspension was stirred with NaOH solution (0.1 N) up to a OH/Zr ratio of 0.5. The final pH of the suspension was 1.85. After two hours of reaction at 40°C the Zr pillared clay was washed up to constant conductivity of the solution, freeze-dried and calcined at different temperatures up to 700°C (Eni-02 and EIII-03). 

Montmorillonite, especially the sodium form, swells in low-ionic-strength solutions consequently, centrifugation in moderately high fields is needed to separate the clay particles and the solutions. Clay suspensions were centrifuged with a Du Pont Sorvall RC-5 refrigerated super-speed centrifuge at 15,000 rpm (28,000 g) for 15 minutes, and the supernatant was then withdrawn for analysis. No correction was made for possible ion exclusion... 

Electroultrafiltration has been demonstrated on clay suspensions, electrophoretic paints, protein solutions, oil-water emulsions, and a variety of other materials. 

The results of the latest research into helical flow of viscoplastic fluids (media characterized by ultimate stress or yield point ) have been systematized and reported most comprehensively in a recent preprint by Z. P. Schulman, V. N. Zad-vornyh, A. I. Litvinov 15). The authors have obtained a closed system of equations independent of a specific type of rheological model of the viscoplastic medium. The equations are represented in a criterion form and permit the calculation of the required characteristics of the helical flow of a specific fluid. For example, calculations have been performed with respect to generalized Schulman s model16) which represents adequately the behavior of various paint compoditions, drilling fluids, pulps, food masses, cement and clay suspensions and a number of other non-Newtonian media characterized by both pseudoplastic and dilatant properties. 

When the liquid, solution or lyophobic colloidal suspension contains asymmetric particles or when it is too concentrated, other methods must be applied to measure the viscosity. This is for instance the case with clay suspensions. In the past the viscosity of clay suspensions was measured by means of a bucket with a hole in it. The bucket was filled with clay suspension and after the stopper had been removed from the hole, the time required by the volume to drain was measured as a function of e.g. the volume and composition. Later mechanical methods were applied. One of them is based on the principle that a metal cylinder or disc, suspended from a torsion thread, is exposed to a certain resistance when you rotate it in the solution or suspension. Before the measurement the cylinder or disc is turned 360° anti-clockwise and then released. After having revolved over a certain angle, the cylinder or disc will change its direction of rotation. The rotation angle is a measure for the viscosity. 

A suspension is a mixture which arises when solid particles are mixed optimally in a liquid. The suspended solid particles have a diameter of appr. 200-0.5 nm and the mixture is also called a colloidal dispersion . The liquid is the medium of dispersion. A clay suspension is suitable for the production of so-called hollow, non-rotation symmetrical articles, such as sanitary ware. Until the beginning of the 20th century these products were made by beating the clay into plaster of paris moulds, the so-called dies. Gradually people discovered not only the physically and chemical properties of suspensions but also how to change them and thus the technique of clay moulding developed and complicated shapes could be made. The science of colloid chemistry has been essential here. In the field of technical ceramics the moulding technique is also applied with other raw materials than clay. 

Pouring clay suspension in a mould for producing a wash basin at Sphinx sanitary (by J.Aarsen). 

The relative efficiency of various reagents in retrieving Cu, Pb, Cd or Zn ions presorbed onto clay suspension has been investigated [254], It was found that a few extractants (e.g., EDTA, oxalic acid) recovered all of the adsorbed metal ion. However, in most of the systems examined the extraction yield varied with the type of clay, the metal ion and the pH and concentration of the extractant, as well as with the pH during the initial sorption stage. 

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