Effect of pH on the Flocculation of SDS Micelles by Al

SDS micelles flocculate in the presence of Al, creating an aggregate with pollutant-removing properties. The fraction of SDS micelles flocculating depends on the concentrations of SDS and Al. This paper describes how this fraction also changes with pH. There are two reasons for this dependence: a ch...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Colloid and polymer science 2001-02, Vol.279 (2), p.196-199
Main Authors: Paton, P, Talens-Alesson, F I
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aggregates
Aluminum
Binding
Converting
Flocculating
Micelles
Pollutants
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:SDS micelles flocculate in the presence of Al, creating an aggregate with pollutant-removing properties. The fraction of SDS micelles flocculating depends on the concentrations of SDS and Al. This paper describes how this fraction also changes with pH. There are two reasons for this dependence: a change in pH has a strong effect in the solution chemistry of Al, converting it into the compound [Al13O4(OH)24], a strong flocculant, or precipitating it as Al(OH)3; and at low pH protons may compete with Al as binding counter-ions for micelles. An increase in pH allows flocculation of SDS at high concentrations of Al, which under unmodified pH does not occur. Micelle flocculates are reported in this work to exist between pH5 and pH8, suggesting the potential use of Adsorptive Micellar Flocculation for the removal of anionic pollutants from waste waters not necessarily limited to acidic solutions.
ISSN:0303-402X
1435-1536
DOI:10.1007/s003960000444