Method and means for measuring electrokinetic potential

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF MEASURING AN ELECTROKINETIC POTENTIAL OF A COLLOIDAL SUSPENSION WHICH COMPRISES PLACING A SAMPLE OF SAID COLLOIDAL SUSPENSION IN A CONTAINER OF ELECTRICALLY INSULATING MATERAIL FIXED TO ONE END OF A CELL ASSEMBLY OF ELECTRICALLY INSULATING MATERIAL, SAID CONTAINER HAVING AN OPENING PERMITTING LATERAL MOVEMENT OF SAID COLLOIDAL SUSPENSION OUT OF SAID CONTAINER TO A RESERVOIR OF SAID COLLOIDAL SUSPENSION, SAID OPENING BEING SMALL ENOUGH SO THAT DISPLACEMENT OF SAID CONTAINER FROM THE COLLOIDAL SUSPENSION EXTERNAL OF THE CONTAINER DOES NOT CAUSE SUBSTANTIAL INTERMIXING OF THE COLLOIDAL SUSPENSION INTERNAL OF THE CONTAINER WITH THE COLLOIDAL SUSPENSION EXTERNAL OF THE CONTAINER, IMMERSING SAID ASSEMBLY IN A RESERVOIR OF SAID COLLOIDAL SUSPENSION AND IMPRESSING A RELATIVELY CONSTANT VOLTAGE DIFFERENCE ACROSS THE OPENING OF SAID CONTAINER FOR A DETERMINED PERIOD OF TIME, WITHDRAWING SAID CELL ASSEMBLY FROM SAID RESERVOIR AND DETERMING THE CHANGE IN CONCENTRATION OF THE COLLODIAL PARTICLES WITHIN SAID CONTAINER AND EMPLOYING SAID MEASURED CHANGE TO DETERMINE THE ELECTROKINETIC CHARACTERISTICS OF SAID COLLOIDAL SUSPENSION.