The role of particle size and molar ratio of Ca2+/Na+ in the retention and remobilization of colloids in saturated porous media

Abstract

The paper examined the effects of colloid size and molar ratio of Ca2+/Na+ on the retention and release of colloids under transients in ionic strength (IS). Column experiments were conducted to elucidate the transport behavior of three-sized polystyrene latex microspheres (300 nm, 500 nm, and 1000 nm) by varied molar ratios of Ca2+/Na+. Colloid concentration breakthrough curves showed the retention of colloids enhanced with the increase of molar ratio and the decrease of colloid size, which can be explained by Derjaguin–Landau–Verwey–Overbeek theory and the existence of nanoscale surface roughness. When the IS of the eluting solution was reduced from 10 to 1 mM, and when the eluting solution changed to ultrapure water, peak concentrations of colloid release were observed. Colloid recovery rates during the injection of ultrapure water were low, and substantial proportion of colloid still retained in the column even after the injection of ultrapure water, which suggested a stronger influence caused by the primary minimum compared with the secondary minimum on the retention of colloid. A modified numerical model considering the processes of Langmuirian dynamics blocking associated with a conservative tracer equation was successfully developed to simulate the transport process of all the experiments.