1 Answers
Clay-water interaction is an all-inclusive term to describe various progressive interactions between clay minerals and water. In the dry state, clay packets exist in face-to-face stacks like a deck of playing cards, but clay packets begin to change when exposed to water. Five descriptive terms describe the progressive interactions that can occur in a clay-water system, such as a water mud.
Hydration occurs as clay packets absorb water and swell.
Dispersion causes clay platelets to break apart and disperse into the water due to loss of attractive forces as water forces the platelets farther apart.
Flocculation begins when mechanical shearing stops and platelets previously dispersed come together due to the attractive force of surface charges on the platelets.