ABSTRACT
This article is dealing with the derivation of the net force between clay particles by focusing on the long range electrostatic interactions. Two swelling regime of the clay particles are considered here: crystalline and osmotic swelling. In the first case, a molecular model of the clay/water interface is required to describe the organisation of the water molecules at the clay surface and determine its influence on the mechanical behaviour of partially hydrated clays. In the second case, the solvent molecules are replaced by a continuum in the framework of the primitive model which describes correctly the mechanical behaviour of dilute aqueous dispersions of clay particles.
