Hydrodynamic and chemical factors in clogging by montmorillonite in porous media.

ABSTRACT: Clogging by colloid deposits is important in water treatment filters, groundwater aquifers, and petroleum reservoirs. The complexity of colloid deposition and deposit morphology preclude models based on first principles, so this study extends an empirical approach to quantify clogging using a simple, one-parameter model. Experiments were conducted with destabilized suspensions of sodium- and calcium-montmorillonite to quantify the hydrodynamic and chemical factors important in clogging. Greater clogging is observed at slower fluid velocity, consistent with previous investigations. However, calcium-montmorillonite causes 1 order of magnitude less clogging per mass of deposited particles compared to sodium-montmorillonite or a previously published summary of clogging in model granular media.

SUBMITTER: Mays DC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2538443 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature