What is a suspension?

A suspension is a heterogeneous mixture of a liquid and a solid substance distributed therein. Suspensions or dispersions in polymer chemistry are finely dispersed polymer products obtained by suspension polymerization.

Examples for suspensions

• Slurries of sand in sea water
• Mortar or concrete (mineral suspensions)
• Top coat or paint
• Autologous blood
• Wheat beer or orange juice

Sedimentation
Sedimentation describes the deposition of particles from liquids or gases under the influence of gravity. So if a suspension is left to stand for a longer period of time, the solid sinks to the bottom and forms a sediment. The smaller the particles of the solid are, the lower its density and the higher the viscosity of the liquid, the slower the sedimentation takes place. The sedimentation can be accelerated by using centrifuges.

Viscosity
The term is a measure of the viscosity of a suspension. The opposite describes the fluidity, a measure of the flowability. The higher the viscosity, the thicker the fluid is; the lower the viscosity, the thinner the fluid is and can flow faster.