Ultrasound techniques for characterizing colloidal dispersions

Interest in the interaction of acoustic waves with particulate mixtures has a long history-dating back to the work of Rayleigh in the 19th century. This interest has intensified over the last fifteen years as advances in electronics and instrumentation science have brought the possibility of using ultrasound to characterize colloidal mixtures both in the laboratory and in-process, and in both of these contexts a small number of instruments are currently in use. The characterization of colloidal mixtures by ultrasound requires a formal theoretical basis which relates the properties of the mixture, particularly the dispersed phase particle size distribution (PSD), to the complex wavenumber governing propagation. The number of theoretical treatments is vast, having evolved over more than a century. This paper is intended to provide a review of these developments in a form which will enable new researchers in the field to climb a very steep learning curve in a relatively short time. We discuss definitions and production techniques for colloidal mixtures and the basic physical phenomena underlying wave propagation through them. We identify two approaches to the propagation problem-scattering and coupled-phase; these are treated both separately and comparatively, particularly in relation to limitations that arise when the concentration of particles is high and the basic theories break down. We introduce the basic method for the measurement of PSD and show how dynamic effects such as flocculation and crystallization can be observed and modelled. The core of all ultrasonic characterization procedures is the physical measurement of the ultrasonic wave attenuation coefficient and phase velocity as functions of frequency; here we discuss these techniques on the basis that what is observable or measurable about a colloid depends on both its physical properties and the frequency bandwidth available for measurement. This paper concludes with our view on future developments of measurement technique and theoretical treatments.