Charge and the dry-strength performance of polyampholytes: Part 2. Colloidal effects

Polyampholytes, which are macromolecules that contain both positive and negative ionizable groups, can provide superior strength improvements for paper manufacture, compared to the addition of simple polyelectrolytes. Colloidal effects, which were measured in solution and in fiber suspensions, were consistent with observed bonding effects. The same colloidal effects were found to correlate with the effects of pH and of the density of the ionizable groups on the polyampholytes. Tests were carried out with a series of polyampholytes having a constant ratio of cationic to anionic monomeric groups and molecular mass. Their charge density varied in the ratio 1:2:4:8. The greatest strength gains were obtained at intermediate charge density and under conditions of pH favoring instability of the aqueous polymer mixtures. Colloidal phenomena were elucidated by turbidimetric tests, sediment volumes of treated fiber suspensions, flocculation tendencies of treated fiber suspensions, and zeta potentials of probe particles.