The Differences Between Anionic Polyacrylamide and Cationic Polyacrylamide

Anionic polyacrylamide (APAM) and cationic polyacrylamide (CPAM) exhibit significant differences in various aspects. Below is a detailed comparison of the two.

Different physical and chemical indicators of polyacrylamide：

I. Appearance and Morphology:

Anionic Polyacrylamide (APAM): Typically appears as white particles or powder, with its emulsion form being white.

Cationic Polyacrylamide (CPAM): Also presented as white particles, but its emulsion form exhibits a light blue color.

II. Molecular Weight Range:

Anionic Polyacrylamide (APAM): The molecular weight ranges from 4 million to 25 million, depending on product specifications and application requirements.

Cationic Polyacrylamide (CPAM): Generally, the molecular weight lies between 7 million and 12 million, though some products may exceed this range.

III. Key Indicators and Properties:

Anionic Polyacrylamide (APAM): Key indicators include molecular weight and degree of hydrolysis. It possesses good solubility, viscosity, toughness, and is non-flammable (low). It can dissolve in water in any proportion but is insoluble in organic solvents.

Cationic Polyacrylamide (CPAM): Key indicators are ionicity and molecular weight. It also exhibits good water solubility and can fully dissolve in cold water. Additionally, cationic polyacrylamide contains various active groups that can interact with substances, forming hydrogen bonds through adsorption.

Uses and Application Fields：

Anionic Polyacrylamide (APAM):

Primarily used as a flocculant to accelerate the settlement of particles in suspensions, promoting solution clarification and filtration.

Widely applied in the treatment of inorganic wastewater from chemical industries, waste liquid disposal, municipal wastewater treatment, waterworks, high-turbidity water purification, and other fields.

Used in the oil industry for oil recovery, drilling mud, and waste mud treatment.

Also serves as a textile sizing agent, papermaking auxiliary, and binder in incense-making processes.

Cationic Polyacrylamide (CPAM):

Mainly used for flocculating negatively charged colloids, possessing functions such as turbidity removal, decolorization, and adsorption.

Suitable for wastewater treatment in industries with high organic colloid content, such as dyeing, papermaking, food processing, construction, metallurgy, mining, coal powder, oilfields, aquatic product processing, and fermentation.

Particularly suitable for dewatering treatment of municipal sludge, papermaking sludge, and other industrial sludges.

Also used for separating and purifying suspended substances in liquids like hydrochloric acid and medium-concentration sulfuric acid.

In summary, anionic polyacrylamide and cationic polyacrylamide exhibit significant differences in appearance, molecular weight, key indicators and properties, uses and application fields, as well as price and cost. When selecting which type of polyacrylamide to use, comprehensive consideration should be given based on specific application scenarios and requirements.