Influence of temperature on the aggregation and sedimentation rate of monodisperse spherical silica particles

The rise in temperature of alcohol suspensions of monodisperse silica particles to 50-100^oC results in an increase in the number of coagulated particles. This phenomenon results from an increase in the degree of electrolyte dissociation, which is equivalent to the rise in its concentration under normal conditions. The suspensions with the aggregates settle at elevated temperatures with the rates that are considerably higher than it is conditioned by the decrease in the viscosity of the suspension. The aggregates and free particles settle jointly, indicating that the non-aggregated particles are held in the field of the long-range molecular attraction of aggregates. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.