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The Scientific Basis of Flocculation pp 283–328Cite as

Flocculation in Mineral Processing

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Part of the book series: NATO Advanced Study Institutes Series ((NSSE,volume 27))

Abstract

Flocculation is a characteristic property of colloidal dispersions. The typical classical sol contained sub-microscopic dispersed particles which would pass freely through ordinary filter-paper, and were too small to be resolved by any transmission optical microscope. Consequently, an arbitrary size limit of 0.1 μm could be defined as the upper size boundary of the colloidal range. However, this distinction between “true” colloids and frank fine-particle dispersions was undermined in 1903 with the invention of the optical ultra-microscope of Siendentopf and Zsigmondy, which showed that even classical gold sols, etc. were particulate in character and could be prepared with a great range of particle size. Nowadays, the electron microscope has finally removed any vestige of significance of a visibility barrier at 0.1 μm and so it has become necessary to reconsider the upper size limit of the “colloidal” range.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mineral Resources Engineering, Imperial College, London, SW7, England

    J. A. Kitchener

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  1. J. A. Kitchener
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil and Municipal Engineering, University College London, UK

    Kenneth J. Ives (Professor of civil engineering) (Professor of civil engineering)

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© 1978 Sijthoff & Noordhoff International Publishers B.V.

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Kitchener, J.A. (1978). Flocculation in Mineral Processing. In: Ives, K.J. (eds) The Scientific Basis of Flocculation. NATO Advanced Study Institutes Series, vol 27. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-9938-1_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-9938-1_12

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-009-9940-4

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