Effect of Surfactants on Clay-Water Slurry Rheology

Abstract

The rheological behavior of clay-water slurry has been studied in presence of different surfactants. The effects of solid concentration as well as the effect of three synthetic surfactants, nonionic Triton X-100 (TX-100), anionic sodium dodecyl benzene sufonate (SDBS) and cationic cetyl pyridinium bromide (CPB) surfactant on the rheological behaviors of pyrophillite-water slurry were experimented by using a rotational cone and plate BOHLIN VISCO-88 viscometer. It was found that the cationic surfactant addition to pyrophillite slurry causes first an increase in viscosity and later a decrease in viscosity due to charge reversal where as for nonionic surfactant; viscosity increases and after a certain concentration remains constant. The zeta-potential values of pyrophillite-water slurry at different pH and in presence surfactants were also correlated with the adsorption and rheological behavior. It was found that at lower pH the viscosity of clay water slurry is more and with increase in pH it decreases and after a certain pH it remain constant. These experiments were conducted under both constant and variable shear stresses at a temperature of 30C.