The flocculation kinetics of kaolin particles suspended in 0.01 mol/L NaCl solution and adsorption properties of cationic starch on kaolin surface have been investigated at pH 5.0. Adsorption kinetics of cationic starch followed pseudo-second-order model (R-2 > 0.98). Flocculation kinetics showed that increase in flocculant dosage resulted in higher rate constants for the flocculation process and lower rate constant for the aggregate breakage. The rate of aggregation of particles and frequency of collisions of particles are very slow and the two steps determined the rate of flocculation process. The adsorption of cationic starch on the kaolin surface followed Langmuir isotherm (R-2 > 0.99). Thermodynamic study indicated that the values of AGO were strongly temperature-dependent and that cationic starch adsorption onto kaolin particles entropically dominated rather than enthalpically driven since vertical bar H-theta vertical bar < vertical bar -T Delta S-theta vertical bar. The negative values of Delta G(theta) and the positive values of Delta H-theta suggested that the adsorption process is spontaneous and endothermic. The value of Delta H-theta (37.262 kJ/mol) suggested that the electrostatic interaction is the dominant mechanism for the adsorption of cationic starch on kaolin. The fractional coverage decreased with increasing temperature, consistent with a reduced hydrodynamic diameter and a more contracted polymer conformation. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.