405- PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY

COLLOIDS:
SEDIMENTATION

GROUP NUMBER 7:
• NOOR UL SABAH SHEIKH B21101007167
• M. YAMMAN AHMED B21101007157
• NEHA SHAH B21101007164
• MAHA RAMZAN B21101007116

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 SEDIMENTATION

WHAT IS SEDIMENTATION?
 Sedimentation is the settling of heavier particles under
the influence of the gravitational forces acting on them.

• Sedimentation is the phenomenon that Brownian particles

attain a certain velocity under the action of an external
field. This translational velocity is referred to as the
sedimentation or settling velocity.
The microscopically insoluble particles of on one substance
• This process is attributed to the effect and action of the
are dispersed another medium. Due to influence of gravity, the
gravitational forces acting upon the particles
particles ‘sediments’ down

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• FORCES THAT CASE SEDIMENTATION
GRAVITATIONAL FORCES:
Sedimentation of many colloids occurs because of gravitational force.
Because when nanoparticles of colloids are aggregated so this cases them
to sink downwards because of gravity.

ELECTRICAL FORCE:
If we have a negatively charged solution and application of force is also positive
than this cases all the attraction pf nanoparticles and then settle down.

CENTRIFUGAL FORCE:
It cause by speed. When the particles are moving with high speed so
this cause the particle to sediment down according to their size and
weight.
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STROKE’S LAW:
As established earlier, sedimentation is attributed to the gravitational force acting on the dispersed particles in
a dispersion medium. It is the velocity attained by the particle in the dispersion medium by the particle. Under
consideration that the particle dispersed have density( in a medium having density(, then according to strokes
law:

--------------- EQUATION 1

here,
r= radius of a sphere (cm or m)
density of dispersion medium (g/c
density of spherical particle (g/c
g= acceleration due to gravity (g/c ∴ 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑡h𝑒 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑠𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑖𝑛𝐶𝐺𝑆 𝑠𝑦𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑚

For the particles to sediment obeying stroke’s law, the size limit must exceed 0.5 micrometer. In other words, If the particles
are subjected only to the force of gravity, then the lower size limit of particles obeying Stroke’s equation is about 0.5μm
(500nm).
This happens because of Brownian movement, which becomes significant and tends to offset sedimentation due to gravity
and instead will promote mixing.
( CONT.)
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 CONT.
Because of smaller particle size i.e. less mass, there is a significant Brownian movement which offsets sedimentation.
Consequently, a strong force be applied to bring about the sedimentation of colloidal particles in a quantitative and
measureable manner.

This is achieved by using a using a ultracentrifuge (An ultracentrifuge is a centrifuge optimized for spinning a rotor at
very high speeds, capable of generating acceleration as high as 1, 000,000 g). It generates force one million times that of
gravity.
The dispersed particles are separated by centrifuging the tube at a very high speed. Here the equation of stroke’s law
would be:

n= --------- EQUATION 2

Thus,
is the angular velocity (rad/sec)
is the distance of the particles from center of rotation (cm)
And the other are same as of equation 1
The speed at which it is operated is given as rpm(rotation per minute). It is also expressed as angular acceleration
Conclusively, A/c to Stroke’s law:

Radius of sphere viscosity

Factors effecting rate

of sedimentation

Gravitational
density acceleration

Diagram representing centrifugation

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QUESTION:
A centrifuge is rotating at 1500rpm. The midpoint of the cell containing the sample is located 7.5cm from the point rotor
(.5cm). What is the angular acceleration and the number of g’s on the suspended particles?

Data:
Rpm(rotation per minute)= 1500 rpm
R= 7.5cm ?
Solution:

For angular velocity:

N (rpm) x

angular acceleration:
24649 x 7.5cm= =1.848x 1 cm/se

Number of g’s= g’s

QUESTION:
A centrifuge is rotating at 1800rpm. The midpoint of the cell containing the sample is located 10cm from the center of
rotor(x=10cm). What is the average angular acceleration and no. of g’s on suspended particles? 7
SOLUTION:
Data:
Rpm(rotation per minute)= 1800 rpm
R= 10cm 𝝎=?

= ( x 10cm

= 3.5 x 1

No. of g’s =

=356.778 g’s

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 SEDIMENTION COEFFICIENT: The instantaneous velocity 𝑑𝑦/𝑑𝑥 of a unit centrifugal field
is expressed in the terms of Svedberg sedimentation coefficient.
It is defined as the ratio of a particle's sedimentation velocity to the applied acceleration causing the
sedimentation. 𝑑𝑥
𝑑𝑡
𝑠= 2
𝜔 𝑥

Due to centrifugal forces, the high molecular weight pass from position 𝑥1 at time t1 to the position 𝑥2 to time
t2, now the equation for sedimentation constant Is given as:

----EQ. 3

The sedimentation coefficient can also be computed from eq. 3 aster distances are measured on Schlieren
photographs obtained at times t1 and t2. angular velocity is equal to 2 times the speed of rotor in revolution per
sec. knowing S, it is possible to determine molecular weight of any polymer by:

Here, R= Molar gas constant

T= Absolute temperature
n= partial specific volume
𝜌o=density of solvent, whereas, S(sedimentation coefficient) and D (diffusion coefficient) must be 9
obtained at 20℃
QUESTION:
The sedimentation coefficient s for a particular fraction of methyl cellulose at 20I is 1.7x1 sec, the diffusion
coefficient, D is 15x1, the partial specific volume n=0.72c Compute the molecular weight of methylcellulose.
The gas constant R is 8.31x1erg/(deg mole)

As,

With the given data:

R= 8.31x1
n= 0.72
S= 1.7x1
D= 15x1sec
T=20
thus,
M=
M = 9800 g/mole’

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