Chemistry Colloidal suspensions play a significant role in many environmental and industrial processes. The ability to control coagulation and flocculation is of considerable importance in water- and wastewater treatment, for example.
Colloids also figure in the transport of inorganic and organic pollutants in streams and rivers.
As a result of such wide-spread applications, colloid science is a multidisciplinary area, involving elements of inorganic, physical, and analytical chemistry. Research in this laboratory is jointly directed by Profs. Kenneth and Marianna Busch. For the last several years we have been particularly interested in the effect of applied magnetic and radiofrequency fields on stationary and flowing colloidal suspensions. Some of this research has revealed that the presence of an orthogonally applied magnetic field can enhance the aggregation of flowing suspensions of either weakly ferromagnetic or diamagnetic colloidal materials.