abstract
- The migration of polystyrene latex particles (diameter=310, 170 and 40 nm) through columns packed with 30 μm quartz powder was experimentally studied at low eluant velocity at pH 6.0±0.1. The average velocity of polystyrene latex particle was found to be larger than that of HTO. The ratio (separation factor) of the average velocity of polystyrene latex particle to that of HTO increased with increasing the size of polystyrene latex particle and with decreasing the concentration of sodium chloride added under the experimental conditions. This reveals that the colloid migration process in the geological media is similar to that occurring in hydrodynamic chromatography. A model proposed for hydrodynamic chromatography was used to calculate the separation factor in which the potentials from tile double layer force and from the van der Waals force were taken into account. The separation factor, calculated with the model by using the measured surface potentials of polystyrene latex particle and quartz powder and by using Hamaker constant evaluated from the literature, was found to agree well with the experimental result.