ON THE CONVERSION OF EXPERIMENTAL ELECTROKINETIC DATA INTO DOUBLE-LAYER CHARACTERISTICS IN SOLID-LIQUID INTERFACES

The purpose of this article is to present some important advances in the theoretical treatments to convert experimental electrokinetic data into electrical double layer (e.d.1.) characteristics in solid-liquid interfaces of concentrated and dilute colloidal dispersions. Special attention is paid to the most classical electrokinetic phenomena: Sedimentation potential/electrophoresis and streaming potential/electro-osmosis. Different capillary and cell models are presented emphasizing the relation between experimental data and theoretical treatment. Surface conductance, e.d.1. overlap and turbulent flow are taken into account in the conversion of streaming potential into zeta-potential in concentrated dispersions. Also the conversion of electrophoretic mobility into zeta-potential is carried out under experimental conditions of polarization of e.d.1., structured layer and particles of different geometrical shapes. The electrokinetic energy conversion in electro-osmosis and streaming potential is related to zeta-potential. Finally, in all cases, new applications of electrokinetic phenomena are presented.