Journal article
Temperature controlled surface hydrophobicity and interaction forces induced by poly (N-isopropylacrylamide)
Elizaveta Burdukova, Haihong Li, Naoyuki Ishida, John-Paul O'Shea, George V Franks
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE | ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE | Published : 2010
Abstract
Poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) is a temperature responsive polymer. At temperature below its lower critical solution temperature (LCST 32 degrees C) PNIPAM is soluble in water and hydrophilic. At temperature above the LCST, the polymer becomes hydrophobic and insoluble in water. At temperatures above the LCST, PNIPAM has been shown to induce flotation of previously hydrophilic minerals. The mechanism is believed to be an increase in particle hydrophobicity when PNIPAM adsorbs to the particle surfaces at high temperature. This paper investigates the interaction forces between bare silica surfaces in PNIPAM solutions. The influence of three phase contact angles on these interactions, in..
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Awarded by AREVA NC though the Australian Minerals Science Research Institute (AMSRI)
Awarded by Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
Funding Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge the financial Support from the Australian Research Council, AMIRA International, BHP/Billiton, Rio Tinto, Orica, Anglo Platinum, Xstrata, Freeport McMoran and AREVA NC though the Australian Minerals Science Research Institute (AMSRI) (LP0667828), and from the Core-to-Core Program promoted by Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (Project No. 18004). The authors would also like to acknowledge Dr. Ray Dagastine, for helpful discussion regarding AFM force Curve interpretation, as well as A/Prof. Greg Qiao for his help with polymer synthesis and characterisation.