Abstract
Experiments aimed at detecting agglomerate dispersion were performed in a rotating concentric cylinder device mounted in a light scattering monophotometer. The dispersion of carbon black agglomerates suspended in various media (e.g. water, squalene, poly (dimethyl siloxane)) was inferred by measuring changes in turbidity under the application of a controlled simple shear field. In a given suspension the turbidity was observed to be constant for shear rates less than a threshold value. At shear rates in excess of this value, the turbidity was observed to increase monotonically in time to a steady state value. The effects of particle size and fluid viscosity on the critical shear rate necessary to induce agglomerate breakage were examined. Also, the change in the nature of the agglomerate size distribution upon shearing was studied. The results obtained indicate that the breakup of highly structured agglomerated solids such as carbon black does not proceed by a halving process. Also, the initial breakup process was observed to be irreversible.
© 1991, Carl Hanser Verlag, Munich
