November 26, 2024, 08:55:06 PM
Forum Rules: Read This Before Posting


Topic: coagulation and floculation  (Read 5245 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline me

  • Very New Member
  • *
  • Posts: 1
  • Mole Snacks: +0/-0
coagulation and floculation
« on: March 26, 2008, 05:25:53 AM »

  I would like to know the difference between coagulation and floculation of a colloid.
 I've tried to search in the internet but I can't find a satisfactory answer.

                                                                                           Thank you! :D

Offline Arkcon

  • Retired Staff
  • Sr. Member
  • *
  • Posts: 7367
  • Mole Snacks: +533/-147
Re: coagulation and floculation
« Reply #1 on: March 26, 2008, 06:39:25 AM »
As I understand it, flocculation is jargon for coagulation by an added agent.  That's always how I used the term.  Did a Google search reveal something different?
Hey, I'm not judging.  I just like to shoot straight.  I'm a man of science.

Offline Yggdrasil

  • Retired Staff
  • Sr. Member
  • *
  • Posts: 3215
  • Mole Snacks: +485/-21
  • Gender: Male
  • Physical Biochemist
Re: coagulation and floculation
« Reply #2 on: March 26, 2008, 10:28:45 AM »
Flocculation is the reversible aggregation of particles in solution whereas coagulation is the irreversible aggregation of particles in solution. 

Flocculation occurs when your interaction potential has a local minimum at a fixed (nonzero) radius, meaning the particles become stably bound to eachother, but if you increase the repulsive forces between particles (e.g. by lowering salt concentration), you can eliminate this local minimum and get a colloidal solution again.

Coagulation, however, occurs when the is no longer an energetic barrier to aggregation (i.e. attraction dominates repulsion at all distances) and all particles want to move toward the global minimum of the potential at r=0.

Offline Arkcon

  • Retired Staff
  • Sr. Member
  • *
  • Posts: 7367
  • Mole Snacks: +533/-147
Re: coagulation and floculation
« Reply #3 on: March 26, 2008, 11:38:14 AM »
Ah ... a much better explanation Yggdrasil:, have one on me.  Like it matters to you at this point.
Hey, I'm not judging.  I just like to shoot straight.  I'm a man of science.

Sponsored Links