Adsorption of poly(styrenesulfonate) onto different-sized alumina particles: characteristics and mechanisms

We report the adsorption characteristics and mechanisms of a strong polyanion, poly(styrenesulfonate), PSS, onto α-Al2O3 with large size (L-Al2O3) and small size (S-Al2O3) in this paper. Some effective conditions to the adsorption of PSS onto L-Al2O3 and S-Al2O3 such as adsorption time, pH, mass ratio of PSS to α-Al2O3, and ionic strength were systematically studied. Maximum adsorption capacities of PSS onto both L-Al2O3 and S-Al2O3 were achieved with adsorption time 120 min, mass ratio of PSS to α-Al2O3 20 mg/g, and ionic strength 50 mM NaCl. The PSS adsorption onto S-Al2O3 significantly decreased with increasing pH from 4 to 9 while PSS adsorption onto L-Al2O3 decreased insignificantly in the pH range 4–9. Adsorption of PSS onto both L-Al2O3 and S-Al2O3 increased with increasing salt from 0 to 50 mM NaCl, indicating that electrostatic and none-lectrostatic interactions controlled adsorption at low ionic strength. However, adsorption of PSS was independent on the ionic strength at salt concentration higher than 50 mM. The changes in surface charge after PSS adsorption onto L-Al2O3 and S-Al2O3 were determined by zeta potential while the differences of surface functional groups before and after PSS adsorption were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The zeta potential as a function of the mass ratio of PSS to L-Al2O3 and S-Al2O3 agreed well with the adsorption capacity against the mass ratio. Adsorption mechanisms of PSS onto L-Al2O3 and S-Al2O3 were also discussed based on the changes in zeta potential, the differences of surface functional groups, and adsorbed amount as a function of the mass ratio of PSS to α-Al2O3.