Charge neutralization, polymeric flocculation effect

Charge neutralization, polymeric flocculation effect, 4-5 Colloid-polymer surface layers, electrical and hydrodynamic properties investigated with electro-optics, 121-135 Colloid stability, 161 Colloidal particles, polymer-induced attraction, 97... 

Polymeric flocculants are available in various chemical compositions and molecular weight ranges, and they may be nonionic in character or may have predominantly cationic or anionic charges. The range of application varies but, in general, nonionics are well suited to acidic suspensions, anionic flocculants work well in neutral or alkaline environments, and cationics are most effective on organic material and colloidal matter. 

The attractive forces between suspension particles are considered to be exclusively London-van der Waals interactions (except where interparticle bridging by long polymeric chains occurs). The repulsive forces, as discussed in Chapter 8, comprise both electrostatic repulsion and entropic and enthalpic forces. In aqueous systems the hydrophobic dispersed phase is coated with hydrophilic surfactant or polymer. As adsorption of surfactant or polymer (or, of course, both) at the solid-liquid interface alters the negative charge on the suspension particles, the adsorbed layer may not necessarily confer a repulsive effect. Ionic surfactants may neutralize the charge of the particles and result in their flocculation. The addition of electrolyte such as aluminium chloride can further complicate interpretation of results electrolyte can alter the charge on the suspension particles by specific adsorption, and can affect the solution properties of the surfactants and polymers in the formulation. Some aspects of the application of DLVO theory to pharmaceutical suspensions and the use of computer programmes to calculate interaction curves are discussed by Schneider et al. [4]. 

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