Conformation of Adsorbed Polymers and Flocculation of Microcrystalline Cellulose and Pulp Suspensions

Abstract

This paper consists of three parts. In the first part, the reconformation of polyelectrolytes adsorbed on fiber surfaces has been studied by measuring simultaneously the amount of adsorbed polymer and the number of released counterions. It was found that the time for reconformation from an initial, extended conformation to a more flat conformation was of the order of 60 seconds for a high molecular mass polyacrylamide. In the second and third parts, the flocculation of suspensions of microcrystalline cellulose and pulp fibers has been investigated. The results of these flocculation experiments can be related to the conformation and adsorbed amount of the polyelectrolyte.