Modified acrylamide copolymers as flocculants for model aqueous suspensions

Two groups of acrylamide copolymers have been obtained by inverse microemulsion polymerization using: (i) acrylamide (AAm) with [2-(acryloyloxy)ethyl]trimethylammonium chloride (AETAC) in the presence of sodium montmorillonite (MMT), and (ii) acrylamide with acrylic acid (AA) in the presence of aluminum sulphate. The received materials were characterised by capillary viscometry and the DSC methods, as well as the flocculation performances of the modified copolymers in the treatment of aqueous model suspensions of talc and calcium montmorillonite have been investigated. The effectiveness of the acrylamide flocculants was evaluated on the basis of the suspension extinction reduction and the sludge volume. The obtained results have been compared while using the modified materials and appropriate anionic and cationic AAm copolymers.