Optical method to study the stability of colloidal systems

Claim 2

Apparatus for continuously determining the ratio of diluent to colloidal fluid at which flocculation occurs in a mixture of said diluent and said fluid comprising in combination a conduit for said fluid, means for causing said fluid to flow through said conduit at a predetermined rate, means for adding said diluent at a measured incremental rate to said fluid at each of a plurality of successive positions along said conduit to make successive trial mixtures of said diluent and fluid, monitor means located downstream of each said diluent-adding position along said conduit for generating an electrical signal indicative of the ability of each said trial mixture of diluent and fluid to transmit radiation, and means for collecting said electrical signals and automatically computing therefrom the ratio of diluent to colloidal fluid at which flocculation occurs in a mixture of said diluent and said fluid.

Claim 3

Apparatus for continuously determining the ratio of diluent to colloidal fluid at which flocculation occurs in a mixture of said diluent and said fluid comprising in combination a conduit for said fluid, means for causing said fluid to flow through said conduit at a predetermined rate, means for adding said diluent at a measured incremental rate to said fluid at each of a plurality of successive positions along said conduit to make successive trial mixtures of said diluent and fluid, monitor means located downstream of each said diluent-adding position along said conduit for generating an electrical signal indicative of the characteristic of each said trial mixture of diluent and fluid to transmit radiation, and means for collecting said electrical signals and automatically generating therefrom control signals for the control of the process from which said colloidal fluid is derived in order to adjust the flocculation properties thereof to predetermined values.

Claim 4

Apparatus for continuously determining the ratio of diluent to colloidal fluid at which flocculation occurs in a mixture of said diluent and said fluid comprising in combination a conduit for said fluid, means for causing said fluid to flow through said conduit at a predetermined rate, means for adding said diluent at a measured incremental rate to said fluid at each of a plurality of successive positions along said conduit to make successive trial mixtures of said diluent and fluid, monitor means located downstream of each said diluent-adding position along said conduit for generating an electrical signal indicative of the characteristic of each said trial mixture of diluent and fluid to transmit radiation, and means for collecting said electrical signals and automatically generating therefrom control signals for the control of the process from which said colloidal fluid is derived in order to adjust the flocculation properties thereof to predetermined values.

Claim 5

Apparatus for determining the point at which flocculation occurs during the progressive intermixing of amounts of a diluent flocculating liquid with a colloidal fluid, which apparatus includes: an elongated conduit having inlet and outlet ends, colloidal fluid flowing means communicated with said conduit inlet end to deliver a substantially constant volume stream of colloidal fluid into said conduit, a plurality of injector ports opening into said elongated conduit intermediate the respective inlet and outlet ends thereof, diluent flocculating liquid metering means communicated with the respective injector ports, being operable to introduce incremental amounts of diluent flocculating liquid through the respective injector ports and into said constant volume colloidal liquid stream, and monitor means including a monitor station positioned intermediate each pair of adjacently positioned injector ports, so that the character of the colloidal, constant volume liquid stream between adjacently positioned injector ports can be tested to determine if flocculation has occurred in said stream at any monitor station.

Claim 6

Apparatus for determining the point at which flocculation occurs during the progressive intermixing of amounts of a diluent flocculating liquid with a colloidal fluid, which apparatus includes: an elongated conduit having inlet and outlet ends, colloidal fluid flowing means communicated with said conduit inlet end to deliver a substantially constant volume stream of colloidal fluid into said conduit, a plurality of injector ports opening into said elongated conduit intermediate the respective inlet and outlet ends thereof, diluent flocculating liquid metering means communicated with the respective injector ports, being operable to introduce incremental amounts of diluent flocculating liquid through the respective injector ports and into said constant volume colloidal liquid stream, and monitor means including a monitor station positioned intermediate each pair of adjacently positioned injector ports, so that the character of the colloidal, constant volume liquid stream between adjacently positioned injector ports can be tested to determine if flocculation has occurred in said stream at any monitor station.

Claim 7

In the apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein said monitor means includes; means for concurrently irradiating the colloidal liquid stream in said conduit at each monitor station, and for concurrently measuring the amount of irradiation which transverses the irradiated stream at each said monitor station.

Claim 8

Apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said means for concurrently irradiating the colloidal liquid stream is a source of near infrared radiation.

Claim 9

In the apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein the respective injector ports are equispaced longitudinally apart along said conduit.

Claim 10

In the apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein each said monitor station is positioned in the conduit immediately upstream of one of said injector ports.

Claim 11

In the apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein said monitor means includes; a signal generating means associated with each monitor station to generate a signal in response to the degree of flocculation which occurs at said monitor station.

Claim 12

In the apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein each monitor station in said conduit includes; a wall section thereof which is translucent to the colloidal liquid stream, and which is translucent to radiation.

Claim 13

In the apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein each monitor station in said conduit constitutes a constricted section.

Claim 14

In the apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein each monitor station in the conduit includes a constricted segment formed of a material which is translucent to a beam of radiation, and each monitor station includes a source of radiation disposed at one exterior side of the conduit constricted segment, and a radiation collector disposed at the opposed side thereof.

Claim 15

In the apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein said conduit includes a plurality of substantially equispaced injector ports and a monitor station disposed intermediate each adjacent pair of injector ports.

Claim 16

In an apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein said conduit includes a plurality of substantially equispaced injector ports, and a monitor station disposed adjacent to and downstream of each injector port.

Claim 17

In an apparatus as defined in claim 3, including means communicated with said conduit inlet for injecting a constant flow of said diluent flocculating liquid into said colloidal liquid stream, prior to the introduction of incremental amounts of flocculating liquid thereto.