The temperature effect on the adsorption mechanism of polyacrylamide on the silica surface and its stability

The influence of temperature on the adsorption mechanism of polyacrylamide (PAM) on the silica surface was studied in the temperature range 15–35 °C. The structure of polymer adsorption layer was determined from spectrophotometric, viscosity, surface charge and zeta potential measurements. These methods enable determination of the following parameters: adsorbed amount of polymer, macromolecules conformation in the solution and thickness of the polymer adsorption layer, surface charge density and zeta potential of SiO2 particles in the absence and presence of PAM. The measurements of stability of silica suspension without and with adsorbed polyacrylamide were also carried out. The obtained results indicate that temperature influences the conformation of PVA chains in the solution and the structure of polymer adsorption layer. The temperature rise causes polymer coils developing which results in: the decrease of polymer adsorption, the increase of linear dimensions of PAM chains in the solution, the creation of thicker adsorption layer of the polymer on the solid surface and the slight lowering of zeta potential of solid particles. Taking into account the conformational changes of polymer chains with the increasing temperature main reasons responsible for stability of the investigated system were given.