VIII.—The Stability of Suspensions. I. The Rate of Sedimentation of Kaolin Suspensions by Salts at Varying Hydrogen Ion Concentrations

Abstract

Summary1. The rates of sedimentation of a kaolin suspension in presence of varying concentrations of a salt (sodium chloride, potassium chloride, sodium sulphate, di-sodium hydrogen phosphate, sodium citrate, calcium chloride, calcium sulphate, monocalcium phosphate, “superphosphate”, aluminium chloride, ferric chloride or lanthanum chloride) have been compared at various pH values. Abnormal results are obtained with sodium chloride, monocalcium phosphate, aluminium, ferric and lanthanum chlorides.2. Sodium chloride increases the rate of sedimentation in alkaline solution, but actually inhibits it in acid solution.3. In concentrations of monocalcium phosphate above 0·06 per cent, abnormal sedimentation in alkaline solution takes place, with the result that it is much more complete than at the corresponding concentrations in acid solution.4. In acid solution the tervalent ions, aluminium, ferric and lanthanum have little effect, but a zone of very marked flocculation occurs at pH 7–8. This zone separates a region within which the unsedimented particles are negatively charged from a region within which they are positively charged.