SEDIMENTATION IN PRESENCE OF WATER-SOLUBLE POLYMERS

Soluble polymers are often present in sedimenting systems and their ro le is investigated. Some polymers which give rise to flocculation duri ng sedimentation, also give rise to an unstable system. Some polymers which should adsorb and give rise to flocculation do not do so, and it is being surmised that this step for those polymers is more rapid com pared to the sedimentation kinetics. Some other polymers show orderly behavior and no obvious signs of flocculation, and are presumed to be nonadsorbing. The material used was chalk at 4% by volume and two poly mer concentrations at 0.5% and 1% were investigated.