RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PROTEIN ADSORPTIVE CAPACITY AND THE X-RAY-DIFFRACTION PATTERN OF ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE ADJUVANTS

Thermal treatment during the preparation of aluminium hydroxide adjuva nts affects the primary crystallite size of the adjuvant. The primary crystallite size can be characterized by the line broadening of the (0 20) reflection of the X-ray diffraction pattern. Studies of protein ad sorption using bovine serum albumin as a model protein revealed a dire ct relationship between the albumin adsorptive capacity and the width at half height (WHH) of the (020) reflection in the X-ray diffraction pattern.