A novel method based on capillary suction time (CST) for assessment of dispersion characteristics of suspensions

This paper presents the applicability of a simple and novel technique based on capillary suction time (CST) to characterize the dispersibility of suspension. The method is simple, rapid, and requires little experience. It has been shown to be extremely useful for comparing the dispersibility during preparation of a stable suspension of ceramic powder with high solids loading. The method has also been found to be suitable for obtaining homogeneous suspensions of maximum stability. The dispersibility of particles in any suspension has been assessed with respect to the condition at point of zero charge (pH,,c). A quantitative measure of the dispersibility has been proposed in term of a dispersion ratio (DR). According to this proposition, the suspension is in a state of dispersion when the value of DR is more than unity, whereas it is in a flocculated state when the value of DR is less than unity.