ABSTRACT
The adsorption of polymers on particulate materials is of fundamental importance in the processing of ceramic materials, as well as in a wide array of other technologies such as biological filtration, stabilization, viscosity control, selective flocculation, dewatering, and controlled drug delivery. Examples of such processes are shown in Figure 1. As particulate systems encountered in industries ranging from minerals processing through to microelectronics become more difficult to process, such as the use of ever increasing solids loading for green body formation in the ceramics industry, the need for increased selectivity of polymers (and other surface-active reagents) becomes more crucial. The ultimate key to selectivity is an understanding of the role that the surface structure of the target material plays toward the adsorption of polymers (and surfactants). The exploitation of subtle, but significant, differences between target and gangue species and/or modification of the surfaces such that they are conducive to selective adsorption (known as "adsorption site engineering"), would thus allow the most effective polymer (or surfactant) to be chosen for a specific application. Conversely, the same knowledge also allows the potential for the design of new, more selective materials processing reagents based on specifically targeted surface properties.
