An Effective Zeta Potential Fitting Model for Sphere-Plate Interaction Force in Nanoparticle Suspensions

Abstract

The silica sphere-plate interaction forces in zirconia nanoparticle suspensions have been successfullymeasured to explain how negligibly charged silica microspheres can be stabilized through theaddition of highly charged zirconia nanoparticles. However, the influence of nanoparticle volumefraction on the stabilization as well as how various forces (the attractive van der Waals force,repulsive electrostatic force, and depletion force) contribute to the total interaction force stillremains unclear. Therefore, an effective zeta potential fitting model is developed to explain theexperimental interaction force curves based on a variable effective Debye length and a measuredeffective zeta potential using a continuum assumption.