Flocs restructuring during Aggregation: Experimental evidence and numerical simulation

Aggregate structure, i.e., fractal dimension, has a coupled geometric and hydrodynamic impact on the aggregate collision frequencies. In this work, we evaluated different collision frequency kernel calculation schemes to simulate experimentally determined latex particle aggregation kinetics. Light scattering was used to simultaneously measure aggregate size and fractal dimension throughout the latex aggregation experiments. The intermediate collision scheme proposed by Veerepanneni and Wiesner (J. Colloid Interface Sci. 177, 45-57 (1996)) is in agreement with experimental aggregation kinetics if considered along with experimentally determined fractal dimension evolution. Aggregate restructuring was found to be an important mechanism in explaining aggregation kinetics. © 2001 Academic Press.

Duke Scholars

Author Mark Wiesner Civil and Environmental Engineering