Volume fraction critical flocculation, grafted

The stability of the various dispersions was assessed and compared by determining the critical flocculation conditions (temperature or volume fraction of added non-solvent for the grafted polymer), as a function of particle concentration. 

When >0.5, becomes negative (attractive) this, combined with the van der Waals attraction at this separation distance, produces a deep minimum causing flocculation. In most cases, there is a correlation between the critical flocculation point and the 0-condition of the medium. A good correlation is found in many cases between the critical flocculation temperature (CFT) and the 0-temperature of the polymer in solution (with both block and graft copolymers the 0-temperature of the stabilising chains A should be considered) [2]. A good correlation was also found between the critical volume fraction (CFV) of a nonsolvent for the polymer chains and their 0-point under these conditions. In some cases, however, such correlation may break down, and this is particularly the case for polymers that adsorb by multipoint attachment. This situation has been described by Napper [2], who referred to it as enhanced steric stabilisation. 

As discussed before, addition of free non-adsorbing polymer can produce weak flocculation above a critical volume fraction of the free polymer, This weak flocculation produces a gel structure that reduces sedimentation. As an illustration, results were obtained for a sterically stabilised suspension [using a graft copolymer of poly(methyl methacrylate) with poly(ethylene oxide) side chains] to which hydroxyethyl cellulose with various molecular weights was added to the suspension. The weak flocculation was studied using oscillatory measurements. Figure 7.52 shows the variation of the complex modulus G with p. 

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