I had read about the DLVO theory and colloids a long time ago, so in case I make a mistake, feel free to correct me.
The secondary minimum is not deep enough to hold the particles for a long enough time to cause flocculation. Basically, in room temperature, colloid particles should have enough energy to get out of that secondary minimum and drift away from each other (i.e. to the right of the curve you have drawn). However, they should not have enough energy to cross the barrier on the left (so it cannot go to the primary minimum). When two particles collide due to thermal motion, they cannot cross the barrier on the left, so they rebound away from each other (i.e. move to the right in the graph).
Only at a very low temperature would you see enough particles arrive at the secondary minimum at the same time so as to cause some kind of coagulation. At higher temperatures, the thermal motion ensures that particles are always traversing that potential energy surface.
Also notice that at the secondary minimum, there is a considerable distance between the two particles. So even if you could get all the particles to stay in that shallow minimum at the same time, I am not sure it can be called coagulation.
I had read about the DLVO theory and colloids a long time ago, so in case I make a mistake, feel free to correct me.
The secondary minimum is not deep enough to hold the particles for a long enough time to cause flocculation. Basically, in room temperature, colloid particles should have enough energy to get out of that secondary minimum and drift away from each other (i.e. to the right of the curve you have drawn). However, they should not have enough energy to cross the barrier on the left (so it cannot go to the primary minimum). When two particles collide due to thermal motion, they cannot cross the barrier on the left, so they rebound away from each other (i.e. move to the right in the graph).
Only at a very low temperature would you see enough particles arrive at the secondary minimum at the same time so as to cause some kind of coagulation. At higher temperatures, the thermal motion ensures that particles are always traversing that potential energy surface.
Also notice that at the secondary minimum, there is a considerable distance between the two particles. So even if you could get all the particles to stay in that shallow minimum at the same time, I am not sure it can be called coagulation.
I had read about the DLVO theory and colloids a long time ago, so in case I make a mistake, feel free to correct me.
The secondary minimum is not deep enough to hold the particles for a long enough time to cause flocculation. Basically, in room temperature, colloid particles should have enough energy to get out of that secondary minimum and drift away from each other (i.e. to the right of the curve you have drawn). However, they should not have enough energy to cross the barrier on the left (so it cannot go to the primary minimum). When two particles collide due to thermal motion, they cannot cross the barrier on the left, so they rebound away from each other (i.e. move to the right in the graph).
Only at a very low temperature would you see enough particles arrive at the secondary minimum at the same time so as to cause some kind of coagulation. At higher temperatures, the thermal motion ensures that particles are always traversing that potential energy surface.
Also notice that at the secondary minimum, there is a considerable distance between the two particles. So even if you could get all the particles to stay in that shallow minimum at the same time, I am not sure it can be called coagulation.
I had read about the DLVO theory and colloids a long time ago, so in case I make a mistake, feel free to correct me.
The secondary minimum is not deep enough to hold the particles for a long enough time to cause flocculation. Basically, in room temperature, colloid particles should have enough energy to get out of that secondary minimum and drift away from each other (i.e. to the right of the curve you have drawn). However, they should not have enough energy to cross the barrier on the left (so it cannot go to the primary minimum). When two particles collide due to thermal motion, they cannot cross the barrier on the left, so they rebound away from each other (i.e. move to the right in the graph).
Only at a very low temperature would you see enough particles arrive at the secondary minimum at the same time so as to cause some kind of coagulation. At higher temperatures, the thermal motion ensures that particles are always traversing that potential energy surface.
Also notice that at the secondary minimum, there is a considerable distance between the two particles. So even if you could get all the particles to stay in that shallow minimum at the same time, I am not sure it can be called coagulation.
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