Stability of ferric oxide hydrosols

Ferric oxide hydrosols are composed of a haematite core surrounded by an hydrated oxide shell. Interactions have been studied, on both sides of the p.z.c., between ferric oxide surface and a series of anions and cations having characteristics ranging from structure promoters to structure breakers. Although ferric oxide has a moderate crystalline field, the observed adsorption sequences show that the interface acts as a structure promoter for water molecules. The large spreading of the measured adsorption sequences, especially at extreme pH values, proved the coagulation technique to be a good tool for the study of ion-surface interactions. A new type of behaviour has been observed; at low surface potentials the ions behave as indifferent but at higher surface potentials they are specifically adsorbed.