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Ionization by pH and Anionic Surfactant Binding Gives the Same Thickening Effects of Crosslinked Polyacrylic Acid Derivatives

Antunes, FE ; Alves, L ; Duarte, C ; Lindman, Björn LU ; Klotz, B ; Boettcher, A and Haake, H-M (2012) In Journal of Dispersion Science and Technology 33(9). p.1368-1372
Abstract
Physical properties of aqueous solutions of hydrophobically modified crosslinked polyacrylic acids change quite extensively as the polymer is charged up. A study is carried out concerning the similarities between two polymer ionization processes, that is, by pH increment and anionic surfactant addition. The two processes charge the polymer by distinctly different mechanisms. At sufficiently high pH the carboxylic groups of the polymer are virtually all ionized and the polymer is, therefore, fully charged. The effective repulsion among the charged groups due to the entropy of the counterions promotes an increased stiffness as well as an expansion of the polymer particles. We investigate here how the ionization and swelling will be if,... (More)
Physical properties of aqueous solutions of hydrophobically modified crosslinked polyacrylic acids change quite extensively as the polymer is charged up. A study is carried out concerning the similarities between two polymer ionization processes, that is, by pH increment and anionic surfactant addition. The two processes charge the polymer by distinctly different mechanisms. At sufficiently high pH the carboxylic groups of the polymer are virtually all ionized and the polymer is, therefore, fully charged. The effective repulsion among the charged groups due to the entropy of the counterions promotes an increased stiffness as well as an expansion of the polymer particles. We investigate here how the ionization and swelling will be if, instead of high pH, the polymer is at low pH conditions but associated to ionic surfactants. Surfactants associate to the polymer both in a noncooperative way by the binding of individual surfactant molecules and in a cooperative way as micelles since the polymer promotes surfactant self-assembly. This binding leads to a highly charged polymer-surfactant complex and leads to an osmotic swelling as well. The swelling and the gelation were monitored by rheology and dynamic light scattering, of polymer solutions by varying the pHs and adding ionic surfactants at low pH. The results show that ionization by surfactants and by pH lead to approximately the same gelation degree, as can be seen by similar viscosity values. Both processes result in dramatic viscosity increases, up to 8 orders of magnitude. More hydrophobic surfactants, with longer alkyl chain, are shown to be more efficient as enhancers of swelling and gelation. The network that is formed at high pH or at sufficiently high concentration of surfactant can be weakened or even disrupted if monovalent or divalent salts are added, demonstrating the role of counterion entropy. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Crosslinked polyacrylic acid, polyacrylic acid-SDS association, rheology
in
Journal of Dispersion Science and Technology
volume
33
issue
9
pages
1368 - 1372
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • wos:000308078100014
  • scopus:84865982571
ISSN
0193-2691
DOI
10.1080/01932691.2011.605339
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
918a8280-0de2-4201-8769-c8c481264006 (old id 3450723)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 14:25:44
date last changed
2022-01-28 00:35:17
@article{918a8280-0de2-4201-8769-c8c481264006,
  abstract     = {{Physical properties of aqueous solutions of hydrophobically modified crosslinked polyacrylic acids change quite extensively as the polymer is charged up. A study is carried out concerning the similarities between two polymer ionization processes, that is, by pH increment and anionic surfactant addition. The two processes charge the polymer by distinctly different mechanisms. At sufficiently high pH the carboxylic groups of the polymer are virtually all ionized and the polymer is, therefore, fully charged. The effective repulsion among the charged groups due to the entropy of the counterions promotes an increased stiffness as well as an expansion of the polymer particles. We investigate here how the ionization and swelling will be if, instead of high pH, the polymer is at low pH conditions but associated to ionic surfactants. Surfactants associate to the polymer both in a noncooperative way by the binding of individual surfactant molecules and in a cooperative way as micelles since the polymer promotes surfactant self-assembly. This binding leads to a highly charged polymer-surfactant complex and leads to an osmotic swelling as well. The swelling and the gelation were monitored by rheology and dynamic light scattering, of polymer solutions by varying the pHs and adding ionic surfactants at low pH. The results show that ionization by surfactants and by pH lead to approximately the same gelation degree, as can be seen by similar viscosity values. Both processes result in dramatic viscosity increases, up to 8 orders of magnitude. More hydrophobic surfactants, with longer alkyl chain, are shown to be more efficient as enhancers of swelling and gelation. The network that is formed at high pH or at sufficiently high concentration of surfactant can be weakened or even disrupted if monovalent or divalent salts are added, demonstrating the role of counterion entropy.}},
  author       = {{Antunes, FE and Alves, L and Duarte, C and Lindman, Björn and Klotz, B and Boettcher, A and Haake, H-M}},
  issn         = {{0193-2691}},
  keywords     = {{Crosslinked polyacrylic acid; polyacrylic acid-SDS association; rheology}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{9}},
  pages        = {{1368--1372}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{Journal of Dispersion Science and Technology}},
  title        = {{Ionization by pH and Anionic Surfactant Binding Gives the Same Thickening Effects of Crosslinked Polyacrylic Acid Derivatives}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01932691.2011.605339}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/01932691.2011.605339}},
  volume       = {{33}},
  year         = {{2012}},
}