Computer simulation of the coagulation of suspended solids — The applicability of the Müller–Smoluchowski theory
Regina Wardzynska
,
Beata Załęska-Chróst
DOI:10.1016/j.jes.2015.10.029
Received July 08, 2015,Revised October 29, 2015, Accepted October 30, 2015, Available online January 15, 2016
Volume 28,2016,Pages 197-203
The results of studies carried out using a computer programme simulating the coagulation of suspensions containing spherical sol particles and spherical coagulant particles are reported. The influence of the degree of dispersion of the system on the coagulation reaction kinetics was investigated. The obtained results of kinetic studies were tested in the light of classical Müller–Smoluchowski equations. The influence of the physical properties of the coagulant, such as size, density and mass, on the coagulation rate was tested. It was found that within the range described in this paper, the rate of the simulated coagulation process fulfils both the kinetic equation of a first-order reaction, and the kinetic equation of a second-order reaction. Within the tested range, a significant influence of the mass and size of the coagulant on the coagulation rate was ascertained. The kinetic Müller–Smoluchowski dependence is fulfilled in a broader range of the degree of dispersion, when the coagulant particle mass and the sol particle mass are equal. When the particle mass increases with an increase in the particle radius, the coagulation rate increases faster that it would result from the Müller's dependence.
