Flow ultramicroscopic study of interparticle interaction in suspensions and kinetics of reversible aggregation

The kinetics of coagulation leading, in the long run, to the establishment of the aggregation equilibrium is studied by the flow ultramicroscopy method with allowance for the probability of aggregate formation and disintegration. The case of a slight aggregation is considered when the doublet-to-singlet concentration ratio in a disperse system is low. An equation characterizing the time dependence of the average sizes of aggregates is derived. The equation is analyzed and methods are proposed for determining the repulsive barrier and the depth of the energy minimum characterizing the potential of interparticle pair interaction from experimental data on coagulation kinetics. The case of long-range coagulation is investigated. The effects of particle size, Hamaker’s constant, and electrolyte concentration in a dispersion medium on the probability of disaggregation are estimated in terms of the theory of surface forces. Limits of the flow microscopy method in the determination of the secondary energy minimum value are considered.