8/18/2016 CoagulationFlocculationTheory

Home GeneralPropertiesofColloids
Lecture CoagulationandFlocculation
Quiz ElectricalDoubleLayer
DesignExample
DestabilizationofColloidalDispersion

GeneralPropertiesofColloids

1.Colloidal particles are so small that their surface area in

relationtomassisverylarge.
2.Electrical properties: All colloidal particles are electrically
charged. If electrodes from a D.C. source are placed in a
colloidal dispersion, the particles migrate towards the pole of
oppositecharge.
3.Colloidal particles are in constant motion because of
bombardment by molecules of dispersion medium. This motion
is called Brownian motion (named after Robert Brown who
firstnoticedit).
4.Tyndall effect: Colloidal particles have dimensioThese are
reversibleuponheating.e.g.organicsinwater.
5.Adsorption:Colloidshavehighsurfaceareaandhencehavea
lot of active surface for adsorption to occur. The stability of
colloids is mainly due to preferential adsorption of ions. There
aretwotypesofcolloids:
i.Lyophobic colloids: that are solvent hating. These are
irreversible upon heating. e.g. inorganic colloids, metal
halides.
ii.Lyophilic colloids: that are solvent loving. These are
reversibleuponheating.e.g.organicsinwater.

CoagulationandFlocculation

Colloidal particles are difficult to separate from water because

they do not settle by gravity and are so small that they pass
throughtheporesoffiltrationmedia.
Toberemoved,theindividualcolloidsmustaggregateandgrow
insize.
Theaggregationofcolloidalparticlescanbeconsideredas
involvingtwoseparateanddistinctsteps:
1.Particletransporttoeffectinterparticlecollision.
2.Particle destabilization to permit attachment when contact
occurs.

Transportstepisknownasflocculationwhereascoagulation
istheoverallprocessinvolvingdestabilizationandtransport.

ElectricalDoubleLayer
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8/18/2016 CoagulationFlocculationTheory

Althoughindividualhydrophobiccolloidshaveanelectricalcharge,a
colloidaldispersiondoesnothaveanetelectricalcharge.Thediffuse
layer in a colloidal dispersion contains a quantity of counter ions
sufficienttobalancetheelectricalchargeontheparticle.Thecharge
distributioninthediffuselayerofanegativelychargedcolloidcanbe
represented by the curve ABCD in the figure. The ions involved in
this electroneutrality are arranged in such a way as to constitute
whatiscalledelectricaldoublelayer.

Netrepulsionforce,whichmaybeconsideredasenergybarriermust
be overcome before aggregation occurs. The magnitude of energy
barrier depends on (1) charge on the particle, and (2) ionic
compositionofwater.

DestabilizationofColloidalDispersion

Particledestabilizationcanbeachievedbyfourmechanisms:

ChangecharacteristicsofmediumCompressionofdoublelayer.
ChangecharacteristicsofcolloidparticlesAdsorptionandcharge
neutralization.
Providebridges
1.Enmeshmentinaprecipitate.
2.Adsorptionandinterparticlebridging.

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