PARTICLE SIZE EFFECT ON DISPERSIBILITY OF KAOLIN POWDERS IN ARABIC GUM DISPERSANT

Abstract

Merkhiat kaolin powders were dry grinded in ceramic ball mill, and fractionated by sieving process to five fractions. They had the following particle size: -90+32 μm, -90+75 μm, -75+63 μm, -63+53 μm, and –53+32 μm. The effect of these particle sizes on the dispersibility of Merkhiat kaolin powders in the presence of different wt% aqueous solution of Arabic gum as dispersant was studied. It was found that the particle size of the dispersed kaolin powder and the concentration of Arabic gum dispersant play an important role in the dispersion process.