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Updated: Aug 11, 2026

Controlling the Size, Shape and Stability of Supramolecular Polymers in Water
Published on: August 2, 2012
Temperature effect on the stability of bentonite colloids in water
Sandra García-García1, Mats Jonsson, Susanna Wold
1KTH Chemical Science and Engineering, Nuclear Chemistry, Royal Institute of Technology, SE-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden. sandra@nuchem.kth.se
Abstract:
The stability of natural bentonite suspensions has been investigated as a function of temperature at pH 9 and ionic strength 10(-3) M. The sedimentation rate of the particles is directly related to their stability. The sedimentation kinetics was determined by examining the variation of particle concentration in solution with time. The observed kinetics for sedimentation is discussed quantitatively in terms of the potential energy between particles. The zeta-potential of the particles was measured and the DLVO theory was used to calculate attractive and repulsive potentials. Experimental observations are consistent with DLVO model predictions and show that the stability of bentonite colloids increases with temperature. Differences with other colloidal systems can be attributed to the temperature dependence of the surface charge of bentonite particles.
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