A. Gibbs et R. Pelton, Effect of PEO molecular weight on the flocculation and resultant floc properties of polymer-induced PCC flocs, J PULP PAP, 25(7), 1999, pp. 267-271
The tensile strength of precipitated calcium carbonate flocs, formed with t
he poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) cofactor flocculation system, was measured as
a function of PEO molecular weight together with two types of cofactor, a
commercial sulphone containing phenolic resin and a linens copolymer of vin
yl phenol and sodium acrylate. The floc tensile strength ranged from 10 to
130 nN when PEO molecular weight was increased from 2 to 8 million Dalton.
The two types of cofactors gave approximately the same range of tensile str
engths, however; the elongation at break was about 800% for the vinyl pheno
l-based cofactor whereas the commercial cofactor gave only about 300% elong
ation. It nus postulated that elongation is an important predictor of floc
survivability in turbulent flow.