We present a model for the theoretical description of the electric double layer of realistic salt-free colloidal suspensions. This kind of systems consist of aqueous suspensions deionized maximally without any electrolyte added during the preparation, in which the only ions present can be (i) the added counterions that counterbalance the surface charge, (ii) the H(+) and OH(-) ions from water dissociation, and (iii) the ions produced by the atmospheric CO2 contamination. Our theory is elaborated in the framework of the classical Poisson-Boltzmann theory, the spherical cell model approach, and the appropriate local equilibrium reactions, and it also includes an efficient mathematical treatment for dealing with the resulting integro-differential equations. We have applied it to the study of the surface electric potential in a wide range of volume fraction and surface charge density values in a variety of cases. The numerical results show that it is necessary to consider the water dissociation influence for volume fractions lower than approximately 10(-2), whereas the atmospheric contamination, if the suspensions are open to the atmosphere, is important in the region of phi<10(-1). The present work sets the basis for theoretical models concerning the equilibrium phase diagram, electrokinetics, and rheology of such systems.
The electroviscous effect of a colloidal suspension is considered. The disagreement between the different existing theories and the experimental results is pointed out. A new development, based upon a cell model concept, is proposed. This new approach is valid for Newtonian fluids and disordered systems, which imposes the condition of low shear rate, corresponding to the low Newtonian plateau in general flow curves of colloidal suspensions. The theory is valid for moderately concentrated suspensions and thin double layers. The numerical results are analyzed, resulting in a dependence of the electroviscous effect with the particle concentration. A maximum of the electroviscous coefficient with the ζ-potential for every particle concentration and electrokinetic radius is found, although the very high ζ value where the maximum appears makes it inaccessible for experimental tests. The theoretical predictions are compared with a few experimental results. A better agreement in the region of validity of the theory is found.
In this contribution, the dynamic electrophoretic mobility of spherical colloidal particles in a salt-free concentrated suspension subjected to an oscillating electric field is studied theoretically using a cell model approach. Previous calculations focusing the analysis on cases of very low or very high particle surface charge are analyzed and extended to arbitrary conditions regarding particle surface charge, particle radius, volume fraction, counterion properties, and frequency of the applied electric field (sub-GHz range). Because no limit is imposed on the volume fractions of solids considered, the overlap of double layers of adjacent particles is accounted for. Our results display not only the so-called counterion condensation effect for high particle charge, previously described in the literature, but also its relative influence on the dynamic electrophoretic mobility throughout the whole frequency spectrum. Furthermore, we observe a competition between different relaxation processes related to the complex electric dipole moment induced on the particles by the field, as well as the influence of particle inertia at the high-frequency range. In addition, the influences of volume fraction, particle charge, particle radius, and ionic drag coefficient on the dynamic electrophoretic mobility as a function of frequency are extensively analyzed.
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