A new description of the fractal dimension of particle aggregates in liquid medium

The possible existence forms of particle aggregates in liquid medium are classified into four different types according to their morphological characteristics, including the single particles that are separated from each other, the linear aggregates in which all component particles are located in a line, the planar aggregates where all particles are arranged on a plane, and the volumetric aggregates where all particles forms a three-dimensional space. These particle aggregates with different space morphologies have different fractal dimensions and different influence on the rheological phenomena of the solid-liquid system. The effects of various aggregates on the suspension viscosity are analyzed and related with the particle concentration, and then a mathematical model is presented to determine the fractal dimensions of various aggregates by measuring the apparent viscosity of the solid-liquid system. In the model, the viscous fractal dimension is developed as a new concept, the fractal dimensions of different aggregates can be obtained separately and then the relative components of various aggregates experimentally analyzed.