Studies on thixotropic gelation - II—The coagulation of clay suspensions

Abstract

The coagulation of very dilute clay suspensions by electrolytes has been studied in detail by Tuorila and others, but strong suspensions have so far received very little attention. The work of Bradfield, Schofield and Keen, and Schofield and Scott Blair on clays, and of Freundlich, Schmidt, and Lindau on bentonite have dealt with certain aspects of the subject, but no complete investigation of the effect of electrolytes on moderately strong suspensions has been made. Information on this question should be of particular interest, both on account of the peculiar, and in some respects almost unique properties of clay, and also because of its possible relevance to the practically important problem of the influence of electrolytes on soil structure.