Flocculation

Name:
Flocculation
Detailed information:
The combination or aggregation of suspended colloidal particles in such a way that they form small clumps or tufts. The word is derived from this appearance. Carbon black displays a tendency to flocculate in rubber when improperly dispersed, and some clays have the same property. Oil-well drilling muds are made alkaline to prevent flocculation of their components. Flocculation can often be reversed by agitation, because the cohesive forces are relatively weak. This is not true of other forms of aggregation (coalescence and coagulation), which are irreversible.See Agglomeration; Aggregation.