Flocculation responses, various

Adsorption of nonionic and anionic polyacrylamides on kaolinite clay is studied together with various flocculation properties (settling rate, sediment volume, supernatant clarity and suspension viscosity) under controlled conditions of pH, ionic strength and agitation. Adsorption and flocculation data obtained simultaneously for selected systems were correlated to obtain information on the dependence of flocculation on the surface coverage. Interestingly, optimum polymer concentration and type vary depending upon the flocculation response that is monitored. This is discussed in terms of the different properties of the floes and the floe network that control different flocculation responses. Flocculation itself is examined as the cumulative result of many subprocesses that can depend differently on system properties. 

These differences in the effect of polymers on various flocculation responses have important theoretical and practical implications and can be explained in terms of various characteristics of floes and floc-aggregates. Polymer adsorption or attachment of particles to polymer can occur in any number of configurations, and as a result the aggregation of particles also can take place in many ways, leading to different floe and suspension structures which will respond differently to different tests. 

Figure 5. Various flocculation responses together with adsorption obtained with Na-kaolinite at pH 4.5 as a function of polyacrylamide (PAM 0.4-0) dosage.

Figure 7. Diagram illustrating the effect of polymer charge density on various flocculation responses of Na-kaolinite at pH 4.5.

Among the properties measured here, the settling rate is mainly a measure of the size of the floes and in later stages the compressibility of floes and floe networks, and the supernatant clarity is a measure of the size distribution of floes and size dependent capture of the particles and floes by the polymer. The sediment volume and the pulp viscosity on the other hand, are direct measures, not only of floe size and structure but also of adsorbed polymer layers. It is to be noted in this regard that it is this latter aspect which makes it possible to estimate the thickness of adsorbed polymer layers by measuring the viscosity of the medium and the suspension in the presence of polymers (20,21). This combination of effects is another reason one cannot always expect correlation between various flocculation responses. 

In order to generate information on the mechanism of flocculation by polymers it is, however, necessary to correlate flocculation with various system properties, particularly adsorption. Thus, if particle/polymer-polymer/particle contact is the aggregation mechanism, the flocculation responses should be expected to continuously increase with surface coverage. On the other hand, if particle/polymer-particle contact is predominant and if the polymer adsorption is essentially irreversible, maximum flocculation might be expected under submonolayer conditions. In order to determine the nature of this relationship for the present systems, selected flocculation responses are plotted in Figures 8 and 9 as a function of surface coverage for the nonionic and the anionic polymer respectively. The assumptions involved in the computation of the surface coverage are to be noted at this point ... 

The results of this study clearly show the complex dependence of the flocculation process on polymer dosage and charge density. It is seen that the form of dependence varies markedly among the responses monitored. In addition to the factors studied here, it can also be expected to depend upon several other physicochemical conditions of the system, including the type of mixing. The final state of flocculation achieved by a mineral/polymer system will depend upon many interactions in the system as determined by various chemical and hydrodynamic properties of the particles, polymer, dissolved organics and the fluids. 

Many dairy emulsions destabilize by flocculation and networking. Hib-berd et al, (1997a, b) obtained the ultrasonic response to flocculation showing that floe size increased during the experiment. The experiment was repeated with a higher level of hydroxyethyl cellulose (0.1%, v/v) with the result that flocculation occurred more rapidly with the formation of a densely connected network of particulate material. The residual root-mean-square error associated with fitting the ECAH model to the ultrasonic data at various points in the flocculation reaction increased rapidly at the onset of network formation and could, in principle, be used to detect such phenomena in a process context. 

Although this picture is remarkably generic, the mechanisms responsible for the formation of a particle-lean layer adjacent to the wall depend on the properties of the material under consideration. For the case of solid particle dispersions, wall depletion, particle migration, and solid-liquid separation are the most frequent sources of solvent layer lubrication. Wall depletion occurs whenever dispersions are brought into contact with smooth and solid surfaces because the suspended particles cannot penetrate rigid boundaries [147]. Particle migration is due to various forces arising from fluid inertia, fluid elasticity, and shear-induced diffusivity effects [165]. Solid-liquid separation, which frequently occurs in flocculated suspensions like... 

The agglomeration of particles in a colloidal solution is due to instability and is responsible for most turbidity and sediment occurring in wine. This phenomenon, also known as flocculation, corresponds to the separation of the colloid into a colloidal crystal (gel) and a liquid. The end result is the formation of various types of flakes. In order to understand the particle agglomeration mechanism, which causes the solution, i.e. wine, to go from a clear state to a turbid state that is resolved by... 

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