Studies on polytetrafluoroethylene latices Part 3. Electrophoretic mobility in univalent electrolytes

The electrophoretic mobilities of particles of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), prepared by a dispersion polymerisation technique using a peroxyacid initiator, have been determined using a mass transport technique. Investigations were carried out as a function of sodium chloride concentration at pH 9 and as a function of pH in the presence of various salts, namely, sodium chloride, potassium nitrate and potassium thiocyanate. The particles were found to have a low surface charge density, consistent with the idea that sparsely distributed charged sites originated from initiator fragments leaving the major part of the surface in a hydrophobic condition. Below a pH of ca. 4.5 increases of mobility with decreasing pH were observed with chloride and thiocyanate as the anion. These were attributed to an anion adsorption process, dependent on thepKa of the surface groups, and a model for the process is described.