title: Reversible Agglomeration: A Kinetic Model for the Peptization of Titania Nanocolloids.
abstract: We formulate a model for the peptization of titania nanocolloids. The model assumes simultaneous agglomeration/deagglomeration with size-independent rate constants. It predicts that the evolution of the particle size exhibits first-order kinetics and that the final particle size scales as R approximately C1/df, where C is the mass concentration of the colloid and df is the fractal dimension. These predictions are tested experimentally. We find that the model provides a quantitative and consistent description of the peptization process over a wide range of experimental variables and that it allows the determination of the aggregation and deaggregation rate constants from the time evolution of the average size. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, 16802
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vorkapic
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsoukas