Standard cotton fabric as a reference material for the streaming potential measurement

Abstract

The surface zeta potential (SZP) is determined from the measurement of the streaming potential or the streaming current. In the past 25 years numerous applications of the SZP in various fields have developed. However, the lack of a reference material for the evaluation of the accuracy and precision of the streaming potential (current) technique has contributed to the questionable reputation of the SZP. The selection and approval of a reference material is therefore of paramount importance to raise the confidence in this measurement technique. The capability of a standard cotton fabric to serve as a reference material for the streaming potential measurement has been evaluated. The reproducible packing of the cotton fabric and the large surface area compensate for the complexity of the fabric structure and the porosity of the cotton fibre. A protocol for the verification of the reliability of the streaming potential measurement is presented, which is independent of the employed instrumentation for the SZP analysis.