Kathryn Amy Pearlstine

Charging of polymer particles in nonaqueous liquid with carboxylic acid charge additives

Abstract The effect of added carboxylic acids on electrical charging of polymeric particles dispersed in aliphatic hydrocarbon media was examined. The particles are charged by the addition of an ionic surfactant which forms inverse micelles in the hydrocarbon carrier and which serves as counterions to the particles. The particles containing carboxylic acids which are substituted with electron-withdrawing groups have increased positive charge compared to particles without acid. Charging is shown to result from solubilization of the acids into the surfactant inverse micelles and is dependent on both the strength and the structure of the acids.