ADSORPTION AND CO-ADSORPTION OF PEO-PPO-PEO BLOCK COPOLYMERS AND SURFACTANTS AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON ZETA POTENTIAL OF MAGNESITE AND DOLOMITE

Abstract. The influence of adsorption and co-adsorption of PEO-PPO-PEO triblock copolymers (Pluronics) as well as surfactants on the zeta potential of magnesite and dolomite aqueous suspension are addressed here. Four Pluronics of various molecular weight were used in these studies. They have been mixed with cationic (CTAB) or anionic (SDS) surfactants. The adsorption isotherms of copolymers and copolymer-surfactant mixture onto magnesite and dolomite have been determined. The adsorbed amount of Pluronics increases with the increasing concentration and reaches plateau. An increase in the adsorbed amounts of both cationic and anionic surfactants onto the mineral surfaces (magnesite and dolomite) has been observed in the presence of Pluronic copolymers. A positive nature of zeta potential was observed in the presence of cationic surfactant, except magnesite without or with a low CTAB concentration. However, an attendant copolymer causes a decrease of zeta potential due to the deformation of an electrical double layer, comparing the presence of an individual cationic surfactant. The adsorbed non-ionic Pluronic layer partially screens the surface charge of mineral particles, and thus, reduces the zeta potential. On the other hand, the adsorption of anionic surfactant and copolymer caused a decrease in the negative value of the zeta potential of both investigated minerals due to increased SDS adsorption. The viscosity measurements were also performed to determine the thickness of adsorbed layer

Oxidation of Hydrocarbons on the Surface of Tin Dioxide Chemical Sensors

The paper presents the results of our investigation on the effect of the molecular structure of organic vapors on the characteristics of resistive chemical gas sensors. The sensors were based on tin dioxide and prepared by means of thick film technology. The electrical and catalytic examinations showed that the abstraction of two hydrogen atoms from the organic molecule and formation of a water in result of reaction with a chemisorbed oxygen ion, determine the rate of oxidation reactions, and thus the sensor performance. The rate of the process depends on the order of carbon atoms and Lewis acidity of the molecule. Therefore, any modification of the surface centers of a sensor material, modifies not only the sensor sensitivity, but also its selectivity

Spherical agglomeration of acetylsalicylic acid

In this paper spherical agglomeration of acetylsalicylic acid was described. In the first step, the system of good and poor solvents as well as bridging liquid was selected. As a result of a preliminary study, ethyl alcohol, water and carbon tetrachloride were used as the good solvent, poor one, and bridging liquid, respectively. Then, the amount of acetylsalicylic acid and the ratio of the solvents as well as the volume of the bridging liquid were examined. In the last step, the agglomeration conditions, such as mixing intensity and time, were investigated. The spherical agglomerates obtained under optimum conditions could be subjected to a tableting process afterwards

Protein-Mediated Precipitation of Calcium Carbonate

Calcium carbonate is an important component in exoskeletons of many organisms. The synthesis of calcium carbonate was performed by mixing dimethyl carbonate and an aqueous solution of calcium chloride dihydrate. The precipitation product was characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) measurements. In addition, the turbidity of the reaction solution was acquired to monitor the kinetics of the calcium carbonate structure’s growth in the investigated system. In this study, samples of CaCO3 particles obtained with individual proteins, such as ovalbumin, lysozyme, and a mixture of the proteins, were characterized and compared with a control sample, i.e., synthesized without proteins. The obtained data indicated that the addition of ovalbumin to the reaction changed the morphology of crystals from rhombohedral to ‘stack-like’ structures. Lysozyme, however, did not affect the morphology of calcium carbonate, yet the presence of the protein mixture led to the creation of more complex composites in which the calcium carbonate crystals were constructed in protein matrices formed by the ovalbumin-lysozyme interaction. It was also observed that in the protein mixture, ovalbumin has a major influence on the CaCO3 formation through a strong interaction with calcium ions, which leads to the coalescence and creation of a steric barrier reducing particle growth. The authors proposed a mechanism of calcium carbonate grain growth in the presence of both proteins, taking into account the interaction of calcium ions with the protein

Evolution of ideas towards the implementation of nanoparticles as flotation reagents

The paper discusses an idea of nanoparticles application to the flotation process. Due to the growing awareness of the environmental impact of industry and legal restrictions, the directions of research on new chemicals used in mineral processing, as well as in the other branches of industry are changing. The flotation reagents of the future should be, or are expected to be, readily biodegradable, but also their products should be harmless to the environment. A review of the works presented here presents an overview of the state-of-the-art application of nanostructures from early reported polystyrene nanoparticles to the most promising cellulose nanostructures which can be successfully adapted to the desired amphiphilicity parameters through simple functionalization. Limitations on the use of such nano-sized entities related to control aggregation in the flotation process and the ability to adsorb at interphase boundaries are also presented. Overall, nanoparticles can become universal flotation collectors and also an alternative to conventionally used hydrocarbon-based reagents

Comparison of Cr(VI) Adsorption Using Synthetic Schwertmannite Obtained by Fe3+ Hydrolysis and Fe2+ Oxidation: Kinetics, Isotherms and Adsorption Mechanism

Good sorption properties and simple synthesis route make schwertmannite an increasingly popular adsorbent. In this work, the adsorption properties of synthetic schwertmannite towards Cr(VI) were investigated. This study aimed to compare the properties and sorption performance of adsorbents obtained by two methods: Fe3+ hydrolysis (SCHA) and Fe2+ oxidation (SCHB). To characterise the sorbents before and after Cr(VI) adsorption, specific surface area, particle size distribution, density, and zeta potential were determined. Additionally, optical micrographs, SEM, and FTIR analyses were performed. Adsorption experiments were performed in varying process conditions: pH, adsorbent dosage, contact time, and initial concentration. Adsorption isotherms were fitted by Freundlich, Langmuir, and Temkin models. Pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, intraparticle diffusion, and liquid film diffusion models were used to fit the kinetics data. Linear regression was used to estimate the parameters of isotherm and kinetic models. The maximum adsorption capacity resulting from the fitted Langmuir isotherm is 42.97 and 17.54 mg·g−1 for SCHA and SCHB. Results show that the adsorption kinetics follows the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Both iron-based adsorbents are suitable for removing Cr(VI) ions from aqueous solutions. Characterisation of the adsorbents after adsorption suggests that Cr(VI) adsorption can be mainly attributed to ion exchange with SO42− groups

Treatment of Liquid Fraction of Digestate by Integrated Process Struvite Precipitation—Forward Osmosis

The research undertaken in this paper was aimed at determining the effect of struvite precipitation, one of the potential products that can be obtained during digestate management, on the performance of the non-pressurized membrane process—forward osmosis (FO). The effect of using an integrated struvite precipitation—forward osmosis process to treat the digestate liquid on the changes in the properties of organic substances present in the treated solution (particle size distribution, ζ-potential) was analysed as well. The study was conducted for the liquid fraction of municipal waste biogas plant digestate. The obtained results demonstrate the suitability of this process for recovering water from liquid digestate. It was found that forward osmosis conducted for a digestate pre-treated by chemical struvite precipitation leads to higher water flux values and increased salt concentration in the receiving solution (from 0.5 to 3 mol/dm3 NaCl). There is practically no concomitant infiltration of organic substances into the receiving solution. Therefore, the use of 3 mol/dm3 NaCl as a draw solution results in the recovery of the highest volume of water per unit of time. An analysis of the particle size distribution shows that the removal of the macromolecular fraction of organic compounds from the digestate mainly takes place simultaneously with the chemical precipitation of struvite. It was found that an increase in the concentration of the draw solution, which allows for greater water recovery, resulted in the aggregation of the concentrated organic molecules

Heterocoagulation of shale particles and bubbles in the presence of ionic surfactants

Adsorption of surfactants is one of the important feature governing interactions between particulate matters. When interactions occur between two particulates, which differ from each other, heterocoagulation takes place. This paper explains heterocoagulation of bubbles and carbonaceous metal-bearing shale particles. Heterocoagulation was experimentally studied using zeta potential, adsorption and contact angle tests. The results indicated that heterocoagulation in the presence of ionic (anionic sodium dodecyl sulfate SDS, and cationic dodecylamine hydrochloride DDA) surfactants was feasible. Based on the results, the heterocoagulation mechanism was evaluated, and thus the mechanism of shale flotation in the presence of ionic surfactants was elucidated

Oil agglomeration of metal-bearing shale in the presence of mixed cationic-anionic surfactants

This paper reports oil agglomeration of fine metal-bearing shale particles in the presence of cationic (dodecylamine hydrochloride) and anionic (sodium dodecyl sulfate) surfactants and their mixture. The experimental results demonstrated that there was a strong relationship between zeta potential, hydrophobic coagulation, oil agglomeration and particle hydrophobicity in the presence of cationic surfactant, whereas shale neither coagulated nor agglomerated in the presence of anionic surfactant. Addition of either anionic or cationic surfactant in emulsification of a bridging oil increased the size of agglomerates and reduced the concentration of surfactant used in the suspension. The results pointed to synergism between cationic and anionic surfactants in oil agglomeration. Based on the results obtained from this study, the mechanism of oil agglomeration of shale in the presence of ionic surfactants and their mixture was elucidated