MEASUREMENT OF AGGLOMERATE DENSITY IN FLOCCULATED FINE PARTICLE SUSPENSIONS

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Abstract
An experimental procedure has been developed for estimating agglomerate densities in flocculated suspensions. The basic technique involves simultaneous measurement of floe size and free-settling velocity in the suspending fluid. Floc density is calculated using standard expressions for free settling under the appropriate flow conditions. Experiments have been carried out using a variety of solids flocculated with commercial, polymeric flocculants. The results indicate that floc density generally decreases with increasing floc size and is limited at the smallest sizes by the density of the solid particles and at the coarsest sizes by the solids concentration in the original suspension. The experimental data have been evaluated statistically in order to establish confidence limits on the observed density-size relationships. The results are compared with previously reported experimental measurements and floc simulation studies and a simple model is proposed in which it is postulated that large flocs consist of random aggregates of relatively dense floe nuclei.

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