Professor
Peter A. Williams
Professor
of Polymer and Colloid Chemistry
Centre
for Water Soluble Polymers
North East Wales Institute
Plas Coch
Mold Road
Wrexham
LL11 2AW
United Kingdom
Tel:
+44 (0) 1978 293083
Fax:
+44 (0) 1978 290008
e-mail:
williamspa@newi.ac.uk
Polymer
Colloids Research Interests and Expertise
- Water
soluble polymers (synthetic and naturally-occurring polysaccharides) for
use in a broad spectrum of industrial sectors including, food, pharmaceuticals,
coatings, paper, mining, oil recovery, inks, pesticides, personal care,
cosmetics, water and effluent treatment.
- Polymer
synthesis, derivatization of polysaccharides (in particular, associative
thickeners).
- Physicochemical
characterization.
- Determination
of molecular mass and molecular mass distribution using gel permeation chromatography
coupled with multiangle light scattering, flow-field flow fractionation,
photon correlation spectroscopy.
- Solution
properties.
- Polymer
hydration, polymer conformation, coil - helix transitions, interaction with
surfactants, synergistic interactions in mixed polymer systems.
- Rheological
properties of polymer solutions.
- Shear
and extensional flow behaviour.
- Small
deformation oscillation measurements (storage and loss moduli).
- Polymer
gelation.
- Polymer
adsorption at the solid - liquid interface.
- Determination
of adsorption isotherms.
- Kinetics
of adsorption.
- Configuration
of adsorbed polymer molecules.
- Effect
of polymers on dispersion behaviour.
- Bridging
flocculation, steric stabilization, depletion flocculation and rheological
characteristics of concentrated systems.
- Phase
behaviour in concentrated mixtures.
- Polymer/polymer,
polymer/surfactant, polymer/particle systems.
Facilities
Available
|
Gel
permeation chromatography
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Differential
scanning calorimetry
|
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Multiangle
laser light scattering
|
Fluorimetry
|
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Photon
correlation spectroscopy
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Electron
spin resonance spectroscopy
|
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Flow-field
flow fractionation
|
Membrane
osmometry
|
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Controlled
stress/strain rheometry
|
Vapour
pressure osmometry
|
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Extensional
viscometry
|
High
performance liquid chromatography
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Pulse
shearometry
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Scanning
electron microscopy
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