The principle of action of dispersants

Dispersants are a type of chemical substance mainly used to disperse solid particles in liquids, making them evenly distributed and avoiding aggregation and precipitation. The principle of action of dispersants mainly includes the following aspects:

Surface activity: Dispersants have two parts: hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity, where hydrophilic groups can interact with water molecules, while hydrophobic groups interact with hydrophobic regions on the surface of solid particles. This surface active effect can reduce the attraction between solid particles, reduce the aggregation tendency of particles, and make the dispersion system more stable.

Charge repulsion effect: Some dispersants can dissociate in solution to generate charged ions, forming an electric double layer or charge barrier, causing solid particles to carry the same or opposite charges. Due to the mutual repulsion of particles with the same charge, charge repulsion can effectively suppress the aggregation and precipitation of particles.

Spatial hindrance: The size and spatial structure of dispersant molecules enable them to form a barrier between solid particles, hindering their mutual contact and aggregation. This steric hindrance can reduce the chances of collision between particles, thereby preventing the occurrence of condensation and precipitation.

Solution rheological property regulation: Dispersants regulate the dispersion of solid particles by changing the rheological properties of the solution, such as viscosity and flowability. Properly adjusting the rheological properties of the solution can reduce the settling speed of particles and increase their suspension stability.

In summary, dispersants can effectively disperse solid particles in liquids through mechanisms such as surface activity, charge repulsion, steric hindrance, and solution rheological properties regulation, avoiding their agglomeration and precipitation, and maintaining the stability and uniformity of the dispersion system. This has a wide range of applications in many fields, such as coatings, inks, pigments, ceramics, pharmaceuticals, etc.