Surface properties of nanozirconia modified by ionic polyacrylamide - Impact of polymer functional groups type

The effects of the type of functional groups of ionic polyacrylamide (PAM) and solution pH on the adsorption, electrokinetic and stability properties of aqueous nanozirconia suspension were examined. The spectrophotometry, potentiometric titration, doppler laser electrophoresis and turbidimetry were applied for this purpose. It was demonstrated that adsorption of anionic PAM (containing carboxyl groups) decreases with the pH rise, whereas in the case of cationic PAM (with quaternary amine groups) it increases. The greatest impact of ZrO2 suspension stability is found for cationic PAM at pH 6, at which electrosteric stabilization mechanism is dominant.