The principle of action of dispersants

Dispersant is a commonly used chemical additive that is mainly used to evenly disperse solid particles in liquids, avoiding particle aggregation and deposition. The principle of action of dispersants can be explained through the following aspects:

Preventing particle aggregation: The molecular structure in dispersants usually has hydrophilic and hydrophobic parts, where hydrophilic groups interact with liquids and hydrophobic groups interact with particle surfaces. These dispersant molecules form an adsorption layer in the liquid, enveloping the surface of particles, preventing mutual attraction between particles, and thus preventing particle aggregation and deposition.

Surface active effect: Dispersants usually have surfactant properties, which can reduce the surface tension of the liquid surface and make it easier for the liquid to wet the surface of particles. This helps to disperse solid particles in the liquid and form a stable dispersion system.

Charge effect: Some dispersant PAA molecules can ionize in liquids to produce charged ions, such as negative ions or cations. These charged ions can undergo electrostatic interactions with the surface of particles, forming a charge layer. The repulsive force between charges can prevent particle aggregation and deposition.

Spatial repulsion: Dispersant molecules form a dispersion system with a certain volume in the liquid. This spatial repulsion can increase the distance between particles, reduce the interaction between particles, and effectively reduce particle aggregation.

Through the above mechanisms, dispersants can stably disperse particles and maintain uniform distribution in the liquid, avoiding the aggregation and deposition of solid particles. Dispersants play an important role in many industrial applications such as pigments, coatings, colloidal solutions, and cosmetics in daily life.