Particle aggregation is a widespread phenomenon, which spontaneously occurs in nature but is also widely explored in manufacturing. Some examples include.
Formation of river delta. When river water carrying suspended sediment particles reaches salty water, particle aggregation may be one of the factors responsible for river delta formation. Charged particles are stable in river's fresh water containing low levels of salt, but they become unstable in sea water containing high levels of salt. In the latter medium, the particles aggregate, the larger aggregates sediment, and thus create the river delta.
Papermaking. Retention aids are added to the pulp to accelerate paper formation. These aids are coagulating aids, which accelerate the aggregation between the cellulose fibers and filler particles. Frequently, cationic polyelectrolytes are being used for that purpose.
Water treatment. Treatment of municipal waste water normally includes a phase where fine solid particles are removed. This separation is achieved by addition of a flocculating or coagulating agent, which induce the aggregation of the suspended solids. The aggregates are normally separated by sedimentation, leading to sewage sludge. Commonly used flocculating agents in water treatment include multivalent metal ions (e.g., Fe or Al), polyelectrolytes, or both.
Cheese making. The key step in cheese production is the separation of the milk into solid curds and liquid whey. This separation is achieved by inducing the aggregation processes between casein micelles by acidifying the milk or adding rennet. The acidification neutralizes the carboxylate groups on the micelles and induces the aggregation.