Abstract
Effect of interfacial electrical conditions on adhesion of ${\alpha}-Fe_2O_3$ particles to PET fabric and the removal of ${\alpha}-Fe_2O_3$ particles from PET fabric, were investigated as functions of pH, electrolyte and ionic strength. The ${\zeta}$ potential of PET fiber and ${\alpha}-Fe_2O_3$ particles in the electrolyte solution were measured by streaming potential and microelectrophoresis methods respectively. The potential energy of interaction between ${\alpha}-Fe_2O_3$ particles and PET fabric were calculated by using the heterocoagulation theory for a sphere-plate model. The negative ${\zeta}$ potential of ${\alpha}-Fe_2O_3$ particle and PET fiber increased with pH, and then decreased certain pH and isoelectric points of ${\alpha}-Fe_2O_3$ particles and PET fiber were pH 6.5 and pH 3.5, respectively. The negative ${\zeta}$ potential of ${\alpha}-Fe_2O_3$ particle and PET fiber affected by electrolytes, were relatively high with polyanion electrolytes in solutions and were low with neutral salts. However, at surfactant solution, ${\zeta}$ potential was levelled off. The influence of the ionic strength on the ${\zeta}$ potential of ${\alpha}-Fe_2O_3$ particle was small but the negative ${\zeta}$ potential of PET fiber increased with the ionic strength. In the presence of anionic surfactant, the ${\zeta}$ potential of ${\alpha}-Fe_2O_3$ particle and PET fiber increased regardless of solution conditions. The interaction energy between ${\alpha}-Fe_2O_3$ particle and PET fabric increased with pH. The interaction energy was relatively high with polyanion electrolytes in solution, and the influence of ionic strength on the interaction energy was small, and the effective thickness of electrical double layer increased with decreasing the ionic strength.