Effect of Zeolite on the Dispersion Stability of Particles

The effect of zeolite on the dispersion stability of particulate soils was investigated by absorbance and electrokinetic measurements. Ferric oxide and polystyrene latex particles were used for models of particulate soils. Maximum interaction potentials were calculated for the various interacting pairs of these particles, with surface potentials taken as the ζ-potentials found experimentally, and they provided reasonably high barriers against flocculation at low ionic strength (5 X 10-3 M). Experimentally ob served dispersion stabilities were in general accordance with this prediction. At high zeolite concentrations, however, a tendency against flocculation occurred for polysty rene-zeolite suspensions; zeolite slightly increases the dispersibility of coagulated poly styrene particles.