Studies of temperature influence on adsorption behaviour of nonionic polymers at the zirconia–solution interface

Abstract

The temperature influence (15–35 °C) on the adsorption mechanism and conformation of nonionic polymers (polyethylene glycol (PEG), polyethylene oxide (PEO) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)) on the zirconium dioxide surface was examined. The applied techniques (spectrophotometry, viscosimetry, potentiometric titration and microelectrophoresis) allowed characterization of the changes in structure and thickness of polymer adsorption layers with the increasing temperature. The rise of temperature favours more stretched conformation of polymer chains on the ZrO2 surface, which results in higher adsorption and thicker adsorption layer. Moreover, these conformational changes of adsorbed macromolecules affect the electric (solid surface charge density) and electrokinetic (zeta potential) properties of the zirconia–polymer interface. The obtained data indicate that the polyvinyl alcohol adsorption has a greater influence on zirconia properties in comparison to that of PEG and PEO. It is due to the presence of acetate groups in the PVA macromolecules (degree of hydrolysis 97.5%), which undergo dissociation.