The difference of colloidal properties between sericite and kaolinite was revealed by zetapotential measurements, dispersion and coagulation (DC) tests, and viscosity tests of suspensions and analyzed on the basis of DLVO theory using the estimated face and edge potentials of sericite and kaolinite. The results were summarized as follows;
(1). The results of DC and viscosity tests showed that the suspensions of sericite particlescoagulated between pH6 and pH7, however, the suspensions of kaolinite particles coagulated between pH7 and pH8.
(2). The zeta potential of the two clay particles was measured in the cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) solutions. The zeta potential of kaolinite was higher than that of sericite under the conditions that the cetyltrimethylammonium (CTA) ions adsorbed on face site of clay particles at 10
-5 M CTAB concentration.
(3), The edge potentials of sericite were calculated on the basis of Williams method. The calculated edge potentials of kaolinite was higher than that of sericite in the range of pH4 to pH8.
(4). The difference of DC and viscosity tests results between sericite and kaolinite suspensions were analyzed by the DLVO theory using the estimated edge and face potentials of the two clay minerals. The total potential energy of interaction between two plate-like clay particles calculated at different pH conditions demonstrated that the suspensions of kaolinite particles started coagulating at higher pH conditions than that of sericite particles. These calculated results explained well the experimental ones.
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