Gravity consolidation-sedimentation behaviors of concentrated TiO2 suspension

Consolidation-sedimentation behaviors of consolidated sediment under action of gravity were investigated using highly concentrated suspension of titanium dioxide particles under conditions of various pHs, initial heights, and initial concentrations. The average consolidation ratio of the consolidated sediment was analyzed on the basis of the simplified analytical solution obtained using the modified Terzaghi's model under the moving Lagrangian coordinate system. Although the solution pH strongly affects consolidation-sedimentation behaviors, the modified average consolidation coefficient was little influenced by the solution pH. Also, the consolidation coefficient increased in almost direct proportion to the total volume of solids per unit cross-sectional area, which changes the driving force of consolidation-sedimentation due to the overlying weight of the solid particles. The variations with time of the height of the consolidated sediment were adequately described using the analytical solution describing the average consolidation ratio with the aid of the relation that the equilibrium height was represented by a power function of the total volume of solids for a specified pH.