Effect of alkali metal cations on adsorption of guar gum onto quartz

Carboxymethyl hydroxypropyl guar gum physicochemical properties in dilute aqueous media

We investigate carboxymethyl hydroxypropyl guar gum (CMHPG) solution properties in water and NaCl, KCl, and CaCl2 aqueous solutions. The Huggins, Kraemer, and Rao models were applied by fitting specific and relative viscosity of CMHPG/water and CMHPG/salt/water to determine the intrinsic viscosity [η]. The Rao models yielded better results (R2 = 0.779-0.999) than Huggins and Kraemer equations. [η] decreased up to 84% in salt solution over the range 0.9-100 mM compared to water. Salt effects screened the CMHPG charged side groups chains leading to a compacted structure. In 0.9 mM NaCl(aq), the hydrodynamic coil radius (Rcoil) was 28% smaller and 45% smaller in 100 mM NaCl solution relative to water. Similar decreases were seen in KCl and CaCl2 solutions. KCl and CaCl2 were more effective than NaCl. CMHPG is salt-tolerant and shows comparatively less viscosity change than native guar gum, with modest reduced viscosity increases with CMHPG dilution at all salt concentrations. The electrostatic interactions were effective up to 100 mM salt. The activation energy of viscous flow for CMHPG solutions was computed and compared to measured xanthan gum and several literature values. These data show that the barrier to CMHPG flow is higher than for xanthan gum.

Sustainable biopolymer soil stabilisation: the effect of microscale chemical characteristics on macroscale mechanical properties

Sustainable biopolymer additives offer a promising soil stabilisation methodology, with a strong potential to be tuned to soil's specific nature, allowing the tailoring of mechanical properties for a range of geotechnical applications. However, the biopolymer chemical characteristics driving soil mechanical property modifications have yet to be fully established. Within this study we employ a cross-scale approach, utilising the differing galactose:mannose (G:M) ratios of various Galactomannan biopolymers (Guar Gum G:M 1:2, Locust Bean Gum G:M 1:4, Cassia Gum G:M 1:5) to investigate the effect of microscale chemical functionality upon macroscale soil mechanical properties. Molecular weight effects are also investigated, utilising Carboxy Methyl Cellulose (CMC). Soil systems comprising of SiO2 (100%) (SiO2) and a Mine Tailing (MT) exemplar composed of SiO2 (90%) + Fe2O3 (10%) (SiO2 + Fe) are investigated. The critical importance of biopolymer additive chemical functionality for the resultant soil mechanical properties, is demonstrated..For Galactomannan G:M 1:5 stabilised soils the 'high-affinity, high-strength', mannose-Fe interactions at the microscale (confirmed by mineral binding characterisation) are attributed to the 297% increase in the SiO2 + Fe systems Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS), relative to SiO2 only. Conversely for SiO2 Galactomannan-stabilised soils, when increasing the G:M ratio from 1:2 to 1:5, a 85% reduction in UCS is observed, attributed to mannose's inability to interact with SiO2. UCS variations of up to a factor of 12 were observed across the biopolymer-soil mixes studied, in line with theoretically and experimentally expected values, due to the differences in the G:M ratios. The limited impact of molecular weight upon soil strength properties is also shown in CMC-stabilised soils. When considering a soil's stiffness and energy absorbance, the importance of biopolymer-biopolymer interaction strength and quantity is discussed, further deciphering biopolymer characteristics driving soil property modifications. This study highlights the importance of biopolymer chemistry for biopolymer stabilisation studies, illustrating the use of simple low-cost, accessible chemistry-based instrumental tools and outlining key design principles for the tailoring of biopolymer-soil composites for specific geotechnical applications.

Graphical abstract

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11440-022-01732-0.

Dynamic and Static Assembly of Sulfated Cellulose Nanocrystals with Alkali Metal Counter Cations

Sulfate groups on cellulose particles such as cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) provide colloidal stability credit to electrostatic repulsion between the like-charged particles. The introduction of sodium counter cations on the sulfate groups enables drying of the CNC suspensions without irreversible aggregation. Less is known about the effect of other counter cations than sodium on extending the properties of the CNC particles. Here, we introduce the alkali metal counter cations, Li+, Na+, K+, Rb+, and Cs+, on sulfated CNCs without an ion exchange resin, which, so far, has been a common practice. We demonstrate that the facile ion exchange is an efficient method to exchange to any alkali metal cation of sulfate half esters, with exchange rates between 76 and 89%. The ability to form liquid crystalline order in rest was observed by the presence of birefringence patterns and followed the Hofmeister series prediction of a decreasing ability to form anisotropy with an increasing element number. However, we observed the K-CNC rheology and birefringence as a stand-out case within the series of alkali metal modifications, with dynamic moduli and loss tangent indicating a network disruptive effect compared to the other counter cations, whereas observation of the development of birefringence patterns in flow showed the absence of self- or dynamically-assembled liquid crystalline order.

Sustainable biopolymer soil stabilization in saline rich, arid conditions: a ‘micro to macro’ approach

Water scarcity in semi-arid/arid regions is driving the use of salt water in mining operations. A consequence of this shift, is the potentially unheeded effect upon Mine Tailing (MT) management. With existing stabilization/solidification methodologies exhibiting vulnerability to MT toxicity and salinity effects, it is essential to explore the scope for more environmentally durable sustainable alternatives under these conditions. Within this study we investigate the effects of salinity (NaCl, 0–2.5 M) and temperatures associated with arid regions (25 °C, 40 °C), on Locust Bean Gum (LB) biopolymer stabilization of MT exemplar and sand (control) soil systems. A cross-disciplinary ‘micro to macro’ pipeline is employed, from a Membrane Enabled Bio-mineral Affinity Screen (MEBAS), to Mineral Binding Characterisation (MBC), leading finally to Geotechnical Verification (GV). As predicted by higher Fe₂O₃ LB binding affinity in saline in the MEBAS studies, LB with 1.25 M NaCl, results in the greatest soil strength in the MT exemplar after 7 days of curing at 40 °C. Under these most challenging conditions for other soil strengthening systems, an overall UCS peak of 5033 kPa is achieved. MBC shows the critical and direct relationship between Fe₂O₃-LB in saltwater to be ‘high-affinity’ at the molecular level and ‘high-strength’ achieved at the geotechnical level. This is attributed to biopolymer binding group’s increased availability, with their ‘salting-in’ as NaCl concentrations rises to 1.25 M and then ‘salting-out’ at higher concentrations. This study highlights the potential of biopolymers as robust, sustainable, soil stabilization additives in challenging environments.

The Influence of Specific Ions and Oxyhydroxo Species in Plant Water on the Bubble-Particle Attachment of Pyrrhotite

Previous studies have considered the effect of using recycled process water in froth flotation and whether certain ions are responsible for what is observed in the final concentrate in terms of mineral grades and recoveries. The attachment of mineral particles to air bubbles is a fundamental subprocess of flotation, without which separation of valuable minerals from nonvaluables cannot occur; it is, therefore, of interest to assess the effect of specific ionic species on bubble-particle attachment. The effects of oxyhydroxo species on bubble-particle interactions were studied with three synthetic plant water (SPWs) of increasing ionic strengths at pH 11 as it is known to through solution speciation that at this pH, oxyhydroxo species may be present in significant concentrations. The presence of these oxyhydroxo species such as magnesium and calcium hydroxides in alkaline pulps were confirmed by many researchers and proven to affect bubble and particle surface charges. Furthermore, to ascertain whether there were certain ions within the plant water that impacted the bubble-particle attachment more significantly than others, tests were carried out with carefully selected single salt solutions. The SPWs at pH 11 resulted in very poor pyrrhotite attachment probabilities and recoveries as compared to the attachment probabilities and recoveries that were obtained with these waters at pH 6.5. Increasing the ionic strength of SPWs resulted in a decrease in pyrrhotite attachment probabilities more evidently at pH 11. Thus, it can be concluded that the presence of CaOH⁺, (MgOH)₂, and MgOH⁺ species hinders the flotation of pyrrhotite particles. Studies on selected single salts showed that Na⁺ resulted in better pyrrhotite attachment probability and recovery compared to Ca²⁺. Furthermore, upon studying the anion effect, SO₄ ^2- performed better than NO₃ ^- when paired with Ca²⁺, thus indicating a negative effect on flotation response when Ca²⁺ and NO₃ ^- ions are used together. These results can be attributed to the action of species such as Ca²⁺, CaNO₃ ⁺, and CaSO₄(aq.) on the zeta potential and their consequential effect on the electrical double layer. The outcomes of this work should be of significant importance for an effective management of ions in recycled process water in the froth flotation process.

Molecular Dynamics Study of the Conformation, Ion Adsorption, Diffusion, and Water Structure of Soluble Polymers in Saline Solutions

Polymers have interesting physicochemical characteristics such as charge density, functionalities, and molecular weight. Such attributes are of great importance for use in industrial purposes. Understanding how these characteristics are affected is still complex, but with the help of molecular dynamics (MD) and quantum calculations (QM), it is possible to understand the behavior of polymers at the molecular level with great consistency. This study was applied to polymers derived from polyacrylamide (PAM) due to its great use in various industries. The polymers studied include hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM), poly (2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonate) (PAMPS), polyacrylic acid (PAA), polyethylene oxide polymer (PEO), and guar gum polysaccharide (GUAR). Each one has different attributes, which help in understanding the effects on the polymer and the medium in which it is applied along a broad spectrum. The results include the conformation, diffusion, ion condensation, the structure of the water around the polymer, and interatomic polymer interactions. Such characteristics are important to selecting a polymer depending on the environment in which it is found and its purpose. The effect caused by salinity is particular to each polymer, where polymers with an explicit charge or polyelectrolytes are more susceptible to changes due to salinity, increasing their coiling and reducing their mobility in solution. This naturally reduces its ability to form polymeric bridges due to having a polymer with a smaller gyration radius. In contrast, neutral polymers are less affected in their structure, making them favorable in media with high ionic charges.

Adsorption of enhanced oil recovery polymer, schizophyllan, over carbonate minerals

Schizophyllan is a natural polysaccharide that has shown great potential as enhanced oil recovery (EOR) polymer for high-temperature, high-salinity reservoirs. Nevertheless, the adsorption behavior of schizophyllan over carbonate minerals remains ambiguous element towards its EOR applications. Here, we investigate the adsorption of schizophyllan on different carbonate minerals. The effect of mineral type, salinity, and background ions on adsorption is analyzed. Our results indicate the adsorption capacity is higher on calcite and dolomite compared to silica and kaolin and the adsorption capacity decreases with salinity. Moreover, the adsorption kinetics follows pseudo-second order mechanism regardless of the mineral type. Adsorption over calcite is diminished in presence of water structure making ions and enhanced in presence of structure breaking ion and in presence of urea. Gel permeation chromatography results reveal the preferential adsorption of longer chains. The adsorption over carbonate minerals proceed via complex formation between polymer molecule and mineral surface.

Electrospun Sesbania Gum-Based Polymeric N-Halamines for Antibacterial Applications

Microorganism pollution induced by pathogens has become a serious concern in recent years. In response, research on antibacterial N-halamines has made impressive progress in developing ways to combat this pollution. While synthetic polymer-based N-halamines have been widely developed and in some cases even commercialized, N-halamines based on naturally occurring polymers remain underexplored. In this contribution, we report for the first time on a strategy for developing sesbania gum (SG)-based polymeric N-halamines by a four-step approach Using SG as the initial polymer, we obtained SG-based polymeric N-halamines (abbreviated as cSG-PAN nanofibers) via a step-by-step controllable synthesis process. With the assistance of advanced techniques, the as-synthesized cSG-PAN nanofibers were systematically characterized in terms of their chemical composition and morphology. In a series of antibacterial and cytotoxicity evaluations, the as-obtained cSG-PAN nanofibers displayed good antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, as well as low cytotoxicity towards A549 cells. We believe this study offers a guide for developing naturally occurring polymer-based antibacterial N-halamines that have great potential for antibacterial applications.

Effect of brine salinity and guar gum on the transport of barium through dolomite rocks: Implications for unconventional oil and gas wastewater disposal

This research aimed to elucidate the effect of brine salinity and guar gum on the sorption and transport of Ba in dolomite rocks collected from the Arbuckle formation in Oklahoma, USA. Guar gum represents the most important organic additive used in viscosified fracturing fluids, and Ba constitutes the most common and abundant heavy metal found in unconventional oil and gas (UOG) wastewater. Batch experiments conducted using powdered dolomite rocks (500-600 μm particle size) revealed that at brine salinities of UOG wastewater, chloro-complexation reactions between Ba and Cl ions and pH changes that results from dolomite dissolution are the controlling factors of Ba sorption on dolomite. Competition of Ba with common cations (Ca and Mg) for hydration sites of dolomite, plays a secondary role. Core-flooding experiments conducted to analyze the transport of Ba through natural and synthetic dolomite core plugs are in agreement with the batch sorption experimental results. The transport of Ba through dolomite rocks, increases with increasing brine salinity (0-180,000 mg-NaCl/L). The presence guar gum (50-500 mg/L) does not affect the transport of Ba through dolomite rocks of high flow properties (25-29.6% porosity, 9.6-13.7 mD permeability). However, core-flooding experiments conducted using tight dolomite rocks (6.5-8.6% porosity, 0.06-0.3 mD permeability), revealed that guar gum can retard the transport of Ba by clogging high permeability/porosity regions of tight dolomite rocks. The mechanism of Ba sorption on dolomite can be represented by a sorption model that accounts for both surface complexation reactions on three distinct hydration sites (>CaOH^o, >MgOH^o, and >CO₃H^o), and the kinetic dissolution of dolomite. These results are important in understanding and predicting the fate of Ba present in UOG wastewater disposed into deep dolomite saline aquifers.

Background electrolytes and pH effects on selenate adsorption using iron-impregnated granular activated carbon and surface binding mechanisms

Iron-impregnated granular activated carbon (Fe-GAC) has been shown effective for selenite adsorptive removal from aqueous solutions, but similar effectiveness was not observed with selenate. This study examined the effects of background electrolytes and pH on selenate adsorption on to Fe-GAC, and surface bindings to elucidate the selenate adsorption mechanisms. The decrease magnitude of selenate adsorption capacity under three background electrolytes followed the order: LiCl > NaCl > KCl, as ionic strength increased from 0.01 to 0.1 M. Larger adsorption capacity differences among the three electrolytes were observed under the higher ionic strengths (0.05 and 0.1 M) than those under 0.01 M. Multiplet peak fittings of high resolution X-ray photoelectron spectra for O1s and Fe2p_3/2 indicated the presence of iron (III) on adsorbent surface. pH variations during the adsorbent preparation within 3-8 in NaCl solutions did not cause appreciable changes in the iron redox state and composition. Raman spectra showed the formation of both monodentate and bidentate inner sphere complexes under pHs <7 and a mixture of outer sphere and inner sphere complexes at pH 8. These results explained the lower selenate adsorption under alkaline conditions. Mechanisms for monodentate and bidentate formations and a stable six-member ring structure were proposed. Two strategies were recommended for modifying Fe-GAC preparation procedure to enhance the selenate adsorption: (1) mixed-metal oxide coatings to increase the point of zero charge (pH_zpc); and (2) ferrous iron coating to initially reduce selenate followed by selenite adsorption.

Adsorption behavior of carboxymethyl guar gum onto quartz sand

The adsorption of carboxymethyl guar gum on quartz sand was studied quantitatively and the factors influencing adsorption were investigated.

Coating of AFM probes with aquatic humic and non-humic NOM to study their adhesion properties

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to study interaction forces between four Natural Organic Matter (NOM) samples of different physicochemical characteristics and origins and mica surface at a wide range of ionic strength. All NOM samples were strongly adsorbed on positively charged iron oxide-coated silica colloidal probe. Cross-sectioning by focused ion beam milling technique and elemental mapping by energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy indicated coating completeness of the NOM-coated colloidal probes. AFM-generated force-distance curves were analyzed to elucidate the nature and mechanisms of these interacting forces. Electrostatics and steric interactions were important contributors to repulsive forces during approach, although the latter became more influential with increasing ionic strength. Retracting force profiles showed a NOM adhesion behavior on mica consistent with its physicochemical characteristics. Humic-like substances, referred as the least hydrophilic NOM fraction, i.e., so called hydrophobic NOM, poorly adsorbed on hydrophilic mica due to their high content of ionized carboxyl groups and aromatic/hydrophobic character. However, adhesion force increased with increasing ionic strength, suggesting double layer compression. Conversely, polysaccharide-like substances showed high adhesion to mica. Hydrogen-bonding between hydroxyl groups on polysaccharide-like substances and highly electronegative elements on mica was suggested as the main adsorption mechanism, where the adhesion force decreased with increasing ionic strength. Results from this investigation indicated that all NOM samples retained their characteristics after the coating procedure. The experimental approach followed in this study can potentially be extended to investigate interactions between NOM and clean or fouled membranes as a function of NOM physicochemical characteristics and solution chemistry.

Role of background ions in guar gum adsorption on oxide minerals and kaolinite

Adsorption of guar gum onto alumina, titania (rutile), hematite, quartz, and kaolinite was investigated as a function of pH, ionic strength (from distilled water to saturated NaCl and KCl), and the type of background electrolyte (0.01 mol/L LiCl, NaCl, KCl, and CsCl). It was demonstrated that the adsorption density of the polymer does not depend on pH for any of the tested minerals, so only hydrogen bonding was identified as the dominant adsorption mechanism. The minerals could, however, be divided into two groups depending on the effect of the salt type on polymer adsorption. Guar gum adsorption onto quartz and kaolinite significantly increased in the presence of even a small amount of KCl, while NaCl equally enhanced guar gum adsorption on these two minerals only at concentrations approaching saturation. In contrast, no significant differences between the effects of KCl and NaCl on polysaccharide adsorption were observed on titania, alumina, and hematite. The results were correlated with the chaotropic (KCl) and kosmotropic (NaCl) properties of the background salts, and-based on a review of the available literature data-with the presence (quartz) or absence (titania, alumina, hematite) of an extensive hydration layer on the oxide surfaces. It was concluded that the main role of background ions in the studied systems was to control the stability of the interfacial water layer on oxide particles whose presence serves as a barrier to guar gum adsorption.

Adsorption of guar gum onto quartz from dilute mixed electrolyte solutions

The effect of potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, and hydrogen cations on adsorption of guar gum onto quartz was investigated at natural pH. The role of the background ions was analyzed in terms of their water-structure making or breaking capabilities. In dilute solutions (0.01 mol/L) of structure-makers (NaCl, HCl, CaCl2, and MgCl2), the guar gum adsorption density did not change compared to the adsorption densities obtained in distilled water. Potassium, the only structure-breaking ion (chaotrope) among the tested cations, significantly enhanced guar gum adsorption. The results obtained in mixed electrolytes demonstrate that the strong structure-breaking properties of K+ overcome any contributions from weak structure making ions (kosmotropes), and guar gum adsorption remains at the levels observed in KCl alone. Only when strongly hydrated Mg2+ ions are mixed with KCl, the overall effect becomes additive and the influence of potassium is proportionally reduced by increasing concentrations of magnesium cations. In this approach, guar gum adsorption on quartz is viewed as a competition between polysaccharide and water molecules for silanol surface sites. The hydration of the quartz surface inhibits the adsorption process but the competition equilibrium, and hence polysaccharide adsorption, can be affected by the presence of chaotropes or kosmotropes.