Ms. Romero-cano et al., Colloidal stabilization and destabilization of a carboxyl latex by adsorption of Triton X-100., MACRO SYMP, 151, 2000, pp. 427-434
The stability behaviour of a carboxyl latex after adsorption of Triton X-10
0 has been studied with respect to the surfactant coverage, being the pH an
important variable due to the weak character of the surface groups. Three
different types of stabilization can be distinguished as a consequence of t
he relation between the van der Waals attraction energy (V-A) and the steri
c interaction energy (V-S): electrostatic (V-S = 0), electrosteric (V-S < \
V-A\) and steric (V-S > \V-A\) stabilizations. Most of the cases may be exp
lained using the extended DLVO theory. However, at acid pH and low coverage
a destabilization phenomena, non-predicted by colloidal stability theories
, was found. This encountered fact may be explained by the consideration of
a specific interaction between the carboxyl groups and the ethylene oxide
chains through hydrogen bonding.