Effect of Tiron on the Properties of Nano-sized Al_2O_3 Suspension

Tiron (l,2-dihydroxy-3,5-benzenedisulfonic acid sodium salt) was used as a disper-sant for nano-sized alumina suspensions. Surface chemistry of the suspensions was evaluated via isotherm adsorption and ζ potential measurements. FTIR was used to probe the adsorption mechanism. It was found that the strong adsorption should be due to the formation of an inner sphere complex between metal ions on the surfaces and alcohol groups of Tiron. With two sulfate groups, Tiron addition in the suspension led to a higher density of negative charge. The rheological measurements of Al2O3 suspensions indicated that the optimum content of Tiron was 0.8wt% at pH=8.5.