I have made a dispersion of Laponite® RDS/ XLS/ S482 in water and it does not form a gel. Why?
Laponite® RDS/ XLS/ S482 products are sol-forming grades and have been designed not to gel, or thicken in water. These grades contain a dispersant additive that prevents gel formation in water only and so allows relatively concentrated (up to 10% solids content for RDS & XLS and up to 25% solids content for S482) liquid pre-mixes to be prepared. When the liquid pre-mix is added to a suitable formulation, such as paint or toothpaste, the other ingredients in the formula will overcome the effects of the dispersant and viscosity increase can occur. Sol grades are especially useful in “water-lean” formulas that contain low amounts of free water. High solids content liquid sol dispersions can be used to prepare coating mixtures to produce antistatic treatments on paper and film.
Related Questions
- In tap water, Laponite® RD can form a strong gel at 2% concentration, but in deionised water, it is a low viscosity liquid. What’s the explanation for this?
- I have made a dispersion of Laponite® RDS/ XLS/ S482 in water and it does not form a gel. Why?
- Isn distilled water a purified form of water and therefore more healthy?
