ADSORPTION OF ANIONIC AND CATIONIC POLYMERS ON POROUS AND NONPOROUS CALCIUM-CARBONATE SURFACES

The adsorption of anionic and cationic polymers onto calcium carbonate surfaces was studied by ellipsometry. Sodium polyacrylate was observed to both adsorb on and promote dissolution of polished limestone surfaces in 5 mM CaSO4, solution at pH 10.3. It was not possible to differentiate between the two processes when they occurred simultaneously. Cationic starch adsorbed on the limestone surfaces at low concentrations and caused mineral dissolution at higher concentrations. The adsorbed amount of starch was higher on surfaces which were first made porous by partial dissolution than on freshly polished surfaces. Surfaces created by cleavage of Iceland spar calcite were quite stable against dissolution and the amount of starch adsorbed determined by ellipsometry agreed well with the adsorbed mass determined from batch adsorption experiments on ground calcite.