Floc strength characterization technique. An insight into silica aggregation

This paper tests an approach to the estimation of relative particle bond strength based on the nondimensional floe and aggregation factors. The strength of floes formed by aggregating nanosized silica particles with the addition of potassium chloride (KCl) or cationic surfactants, alkyltrimethylammonium bromide (mixture of CTAB, DTAB, and MTAB) was analyzed. The bonding force of the floes formed in surfactant compared to that formed in the KCl system was estimated using the new dimensional analysis approach. This force ratio was then compared to that obtained by atomic force microscopy.