Effect of Particle Gradation on the Properties of Mg(OH)2 Slurry: Viscosity, Stability, and Rheology

In this article, multipeak Mg(OH)(2) slurries, that is, unimodal, bimodal, and trimodal, were prepared by blending Mg(OH)(2) of distinct particle sizes (d(50) of 1, 3, 7, 10, and 20 lm). The effects of particle gradation on the properties of Mg(OH)(2) slurry, such as viscosity, stability, and rheological behavior, were investigated. Also, the packing efficiency was analyzed by the compartment packing model. The results revealed that viscosity and stability decrease with particle size or larger particle mixing in unimodal and bimodal schemes. However, trimodal slurry viscosity did not significantly change with particle size ratio. The packing efficiency calculated by the compartment packing model has the opposite trend of viscosity, but this trend is not so strictly consistent in the three-peak gradation scheme. Among the unimodal, bimodal, and trimodal slurries with better viscosity and stability (10, 3 +10 (3:7), and 1 +7 +10 lm (3:1:6)), the trimodal slurry had the lowest viscosity and the highest stability. Its highest yield stress (4.66 +/- 0.23 Pa) and flow stress (7.67 +/- 0.38 Pa) indicated its structural stability, and it showed good structural recovery capability, reestablishing about 87% in 60 seconds. This might be explained by the fine particles forming a bridge between the coarse particles, resulting in a stable and networked structure. [GRAPHICS] .