FLOCCULANTS

Miscellaneous

Notes

(Richard Willis)

Also called “floccs” or “flocs” (like ‘flocks’, as in flocks of sheep), flocculants are special molecular compounds (“agents”) added to clays and glazes to thicken a recipe’s slurry without significantly reducing its liquid-to-solid ratio, and thus preventing sediment and the need for constant stirring during use without reducing the proportion of water to powder in recipe, and to improve plasticity (not elasticity). Some flocculant additives tend t o produce woolly precipitates, such as (see clotting) when ammonia is mixed with aluminum salts. A common flocculant is calcium chloride (CaCl2 5H2O). Traditional “thickening agents”, used where liquid-to-solid ratios are more flexible, have been clays such as the balls and bentonite, vegetable and wood ashes, and fertilizers which are highly absorbent and apportion desired ingredients. < FONT SIZE=2> see deflocculants

Authors

XML

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<material name="FLOCCULANTS" descrip="" generic="0" rawmineral="1" searchkey="" loi="0.00">
<notes>
<note>Also called &amp;#147;floccs&amp;#148; or &amp;#147;flocs&amp;#148; (like &amp;#145;flocks&amp;#146;, as in &lt;B&gt;&lt;I&gt;flocks of sheep&lt;/I&gt;&lt;/B&gt;), flocculants are special molecular compounds (&amp;#147;agents&amp;#148;) added to clays and glazes to thicken a recipe&amp;#146;s slurry without significantly reducing its liquid-to-solid ratio, and thus preventing sediment and the need for constant stirring during use without reducing the proportion of water to powder in recipe, and to improve plasticity (not elasticity). Some flocculant additives tend t
o produce &lt;B&gt;&lt;I&gt;woolly&lt;/I&gt;&lt;/B&gt; precipitates, such as (&lt;FONT SIZE=2&gt;see &lt;B&gt;&lt;I&gt;clotting&lt;/I&gt;&lt;/B&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;) when ammonia is mixed with aluminum salts. A common flocculant is calcium chloride (CaCl&lt;FONT SIZE=2&gt;&lt;SUB&gt;2&lt;/SUB&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt; 5H&lt;FONT SIZE=2&gt;&lt;SUB&gt;2&lt;/SUB&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;O). Traditional &amp;#147;thickening agents&amp;#148;, used where liquid-to-solid ratios are more flexible, have been clays such as the balls and bentonite, vegetable and wood ashes, and fertilizers which are highly absorbent and apportion desired ingredients. &lt;
FONT SIZE=2&gt; see &lt;B&gt;&lt;I&gt;deflocculants&lt;/I&gt;&lt;/B&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;BR&gt;

</note>
</notes>
</material>


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