Effect of charge density,molecular weight,and hydrophobicity on polycations adsorption and flocculation of polystyrene latices and silica

Adsorption and flocculation behavior of two series of synthetic polycations was investigated in dispersions of silica and polystyrene latices with various particle size and surface charge densities. Polycations of the first series (polydiallyldimethyl ammonium chloride‐PDADMAC) varied in molecular weight only, while polycations of the second series (derivatives of polymethacrylic acid) varied in both molecular weight and hydrophobicity. We have found that maximum adsorbed amount of high molecular weight PDADMAC on latex particles was nearly independent of the surface charge density when the particle size was comparable to the polymer coil dimensions in solution. Both low and high molecular weight PDADMACs were efficient flocculants, although significantly lower amounts of high molecular weight polyelectrolyte were required for the phase separation in the dispersions due to particles aggregation through “charge patch” mechanism. The increase of polymer hydrophobicity leads to higher adsorbed amounts and broadening of flocculation window by polycations of the second series on both substrates. However, no strong enhancement of segment–surface interactions on hydrophobic substrates was observed. Since formation of multilayers upon adsorption was also excluded, the difference in adsorption and flocculation behavior was related to the more compact conformation of hydrophobically associating derivatives in solution and at the interface. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 101: 3422–3429, 2006     

Destabilization of model silica dispersions by polyelectrolyte complex particles with different charge excess,hydrophobicity, and particle size

Nonstoichiometric polyelectrolyte complex dispersions (PECs) with different charge excess and hydrophobicity as well as different average hydrodynamic particle size were used to induce flocculation of oppositely charged silica dispersions. PECs were formed with poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PD) as polycation and poly(styrene‐p‐sodium sulfonate) (NaPSS) and poly(acrylamide‐co‐sodium acrylate) (PR2540) as polyanions. PD was used as single polymer flocculant too. Flocculation process was characterized by optical densities of supernatants OD₅₀₀, by UV/VIS spectrometry, and determination of average floc sizes D(v; 0.5) as well as volume distribution of floc sizes by laser diffraction and determination of sedimentation velocity s by means of LUMiFuge? 114. It was found that the reaction process between silica and the used flocculants could be divided into three intervals (destabilization, flocculation optimum, and restabilization) as it is known for all other polymer flocculants. For an effective flocculation of a charged substrate, both electrostatic as well as hydrophobic interactions play an important role. The interval up to the beginning of the flocculation optimum is mainly ascertained by electrostatic interactions (the charge density of the flocculant) but the broadness of flocculation optimum depends largely on hydrophobic interactions. Hydrophobic interactions also play an important role for shear stability of the formed flocs. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103: 3776–3784, 2007     

Time-dependent properties of colloidal dispersions of ferric-hydroxy polycations

The variation of pH, unpolymerised iron(III) concentration and optical density with time after preparation for colloidal dispersions of ferric-hydroxy polycations has been measured. Changes in these parameters are sensitive to the extent of hydrolysis of the Fe(III) ion while counter-ions and initial ferric ion concentration affect the stability of the dispersions with respect to the formation of hydrous oxide precipitates.     

分散剂对红色颜料分散体系稳定性的影响及其在白板笔墨水中的应用

以高分子化合物——聚乙烯醇缩丁醛(PVB)、聚氧乙烯聚氧丙烯嵌段共聚物(F68)、聚乙烯吡咯烷酮(PVP)及其分别与非离子型表面活性剂脂肪醇聚氧乙烯醚(AEO-6)复配作为分散剂,研究不同分散剂对醇溶性白板笔墨水红色颜料分散体系稳定性的影响。通过离心分离-吸光度测试、粒径分析判断其稳定性;通过流变性测试探究高分子化合物与AEO-6之间的作用关系。将稳定性好的分散剂用于制备红色白板笔墨水,并通过流变性测试、粒径分析表征墨水的稳定性能。结果表明,采用3种高分子分散剂的红色颜料分散体系稳定性好,且添加质量分数为1%PVB的体系稳定性最佳。在高分子分散剂与AEO-6复配分散的颜料体系中,高分子分散剂对体系稳定性起主导作用,AEO-6并没有起到明显的作用。在红色白板笔墨水中,PVB分散的墨水体系稳定性最佳,此结果与红色颜料分散体系相一致。     

Interaction of dis‐azo dyes with quaternized poly(dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) as a function of the dye structure and polycation charge density

Interactions between some dis‐azo dyes, different by either the position of their sulfonic groups or their number (Ponceau SS, Crocein Scarlet MOO, Congo Red, and Direct Blue 1), and some strong polycations (PCs), with cationic centers in their side chains and dye removal from artificial wastewaters were systematically investigated in this study. PCs with variable charge densities (CDs) were prepared from poly(dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) by controlled quaternization with benzyl chloride. Even when the main process in the dye removal was charge neutralization (coagulation) for all of the dyes, significant effects of the CD and dis‐azo dye structure on the metachromatic behavior of the dyes in dilute aqueous solutions and on the dye removal efficiency were observed. The stability of the PC/azo dye complex and, connected with this, the flocculation window were higher when the PC with the highest CD was used. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Preparation and characterization of konjac glucomannan/poly(diallydimethylammonium chloride) blend films

A novel preservative film was prepared by blending konjac glucomannan (KGM) and poly (diallydimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC) in aqueous system. The effects of PDADMAC content on the miscibility, morphology, thermal stability, and mechanical properties of the blend films were investigated by density determination, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy (ATR‐IR), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and tensile tests. The results of the density determination predicted that the blends of KGM and PDADMAC were miscible when the PDADMAC content was less than 70 wt %. Moreover, SEM and XRD confirmed the result. ATR‐IR showed that strong intermolecular hydrogen bonds interaction occurred between the negative charge groups of KGM and the quaternary ammonium groups of PDADMAC in the blends. The tensile strength and the break elongation of the blends were improved largely to 106.5 MPa and 32.04%, when the PDADMAC content was 20 wt %. The thermal stability of the blends was higher than pure KGM. Results from the film‐coating preservation experiments with lichi and grapes showed that the blend film had excellent water‐holding and preservative ability. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007     

Mechanistic study of cationic dye interactions with clay‐polymer dispersions via metachromatic effect,aggregation, and surface charge

Interactions for a series of aqueous dispersions of a clay, Laponite, and nonionic difunctional triblock copolymer, Pluronic L62, with two cationic dyes, crystal violet and brilliant green, are studied using UV–vis spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and electrophoretic mobility (EPM) to better understand the adsorption mechanisms. Different concentrations for clay, 0.1–2.0 g/L, mixed with polymer, 0.125–0.5 g/L to produce an organoclay, were tested with a fixed dye concentration, 2.0 × 10^?5 mol/L. The aggregation states of the cationic dyes interacting with the clay–polymer dispersions were characterized by UV–vis absorbance. The dyes changed aggregation states from monomer to dimer and higher aggregate states upon addition to varying Laponite–polymer dispersion concentrations. DLS was used to understand the adsorbed polymer and dye interactions on the clay particle showing longer relaxation times for the largest aggregates observed from UV–vis absorbance. The EPM was used to characterize the surface charge of the clay relative to the polymer–dye interactions, which showed that the surface charge approached zero as the dyes interacted with clay–polymer dispersions. The most significant changes occurred with a reduction in light scattering intensity and longer relaxation decay at 0.1 g/L Laponite and 0.5 g/L Pluronic L62 concentrations in the presence of cationic dyes. The study of the clay–polymer–dye interactions help to better understand and design chemical templates for removal of contaminates in waste‐water treatment. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40141.     

Interaction between a tertiary amine methacrylate based polyelectrolyte and a sodium montmorillonite dispersion and its rheological and colloidal properties

The rheological and colloidal properties of sodium montmorillonite dispersions were investigated in the presence of a special type of cationic polymer [modified poly(ethylene glycol)]. 2‐(Dimethylamino) ethyl methacrylate was polymerized with monomethoxy‐capped oligo(ethylene glycol) via aqueous atom transfer radical polymerization. The tertiary amine residues of the resulting polymer were then quaternized with methyl iodide to obtain a cationic polyelectrolyte. The rheology and ζ‐potential experiments showed that the cationic polymer adsorbed onto the sodium montmorillonite surface strongly. The rheological parameters (plastic viscosity and yield value) were obtained with a rotational low‐shear rheometer. The results indicated a gradual increase in gelation with the addition of the cationic polymer, which reached a maximum at a cationic polymer concentration of 0.4–0.8 g/L. This gel‐like dispersion showed pronounced thixotropy. A further increase in the polymer concentration resulted in a reduction in this gelation. The adsorption of the cationic polymer onto the clay surface reduced the ζ potential to small values, but no isoelectric point was observed. The basal‐spacing measurements showed that the cationic polymer strongly adsorbed onto the sodium montmorillonite instead of entering the montmorillonite layers. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 95: 300–306, 2005     

Modeling the emulsion polymerization of amino-functionalized latex particles

A mathematical model for a semicontinuous seeded cationic emulsion polymerization was developed. The model includes the most distinctive features of the copolymerization of a cationic hydrophilic monomer with a hydrophobic one, including polymerization of the hydrophilic monomer in the outer shell of polymer particles and in the aqueous phase, and the possibility of having radical concentration profiles in the polymer particles.The reactions were carried out by means of a semicontinuous seeded cationic emulsion polymerization under starved conditions for styrene, which was the main monomer employed.The model predicts the evolution of the fractional overall conversions, the thickness of the outer shell, the total surface charge density and the partial conversions for the semicontinuous seeded cationic emulsion polymerization of styrene and aminoethyl methacrylate hydrochloride. Furthermore, the model can distinguish between the surface charge density provided by the cationic monomer than that given by the cationic initiator. Therefore, this model can predict the best conditions to obtain well-defined latexes with specific amounts of surface amino and amidine groups useful for immunoassays.     

Properties of polyelectrolyte‐modified clays: Influence of the particle concentration on the degree of modification

Adsorption of polycation as well as the modification with oppositely charged polyelectrolytes is a useful tool for surface modification. As shown previously, a strong enhancement of the attainable specific cationic surface charge was observed, e.g., with poly(diallyl‐dimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC) as the polycation and poly(maleic acid‐co‐α‐methylstyrene) (P(MS‐α‐MeSty) as the polyanion, at a ratio of anionic to cationic charges of n−/n+ = 0.6 … 0.7. However, because the surface charge seemed to be strongly affected by the conditions of modification, the influence of particle concentration was investigated in detail. One gram of clay was suspended in different volumes of water so that the particle concentration was varied from 1 to 100 g/L. These suspensions were treated under the same conditions. For characterizing the surface charge of clay polyelectrolyte titration, dye adsorption, or microelectrophoresis was used. The comparison between the results of polyelectrolyte titration and the carbon content in the residual solution allowed prediction of the existence of a polyelectrolyte complex and calculation of the stoichiometry. It was found for a constant concentration of PDADMAC per 1 g of clay that the surface charge of modified clays changed from negative (1 g/L) to strong positive, depending on the particle concentration. The cause was assumed to be the differences in the probability of interaction of particles, combined with the changes in the stoichiometry of the polyelectrolyte complex built in the solution, whereas the effect of other factors (conductivity, time of adsorption) was rather low. A strong cationic surface modification was obtained for medium and high particle concentrations only. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 75: 16–25, 2000     

Effect of molecular weight of poly(N‐isopropyl acrylamide) temperature‐sensitive flocculants on dewatering

The influence of molecular weight (MW) and dose of Poly(N‐isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAM) (temperature‐sensitive flocculant) on sedimentation rate, sediment density, and supernatant clarity of silica suspensions was investigated. The addition of PNIPAM resulted in rapid sedimentation (T > critical solution temperature, CST) and low sediment moisture (T < CST). Higher MW polymers resulted in more effective flocculation and sediment consolidation. At 10 ppm, PNIPAM (3.6 million Da) produced 20 m/h settling rate and 48 vol % solids sediment density, whereas 0.23 million Da polymer produced 0.1 m/h settling rate. PNIPAM produces effective flocculation and consolidation by cycling the interparticle interactions between repulsion and attraction as temperature is cycled around the CST. The change in temperature produces a hydrophilic/hydrophobic transition of the polymer, influencing adsorption onto the surface and the inter‐particle forces. Conventional polyacrylamide flocculants (not influenced by temperature), cannot be used to produce both rapid sedimentation and dense sediments. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2009     

Synthesis and optical studies of conjugated polyfluorenyl cations

Polyfluorene based precursor polymers were synthesized either by Yamamoto type or Suzuki polycondensation. These polymers were then converted to the corresponding conjugated polycations by treatment with trifluoroacetic acid. The formation of the conjugated polycations were followed by UV-vis and characterized by ¹H NMR. The absorption maxima of the polycations fall in the range of 580-690 nm. The formation of the polycations is evidenced by a red shift in absorption maxima compared to the parent polymers due to the generation of stable cations with more extended conjugation and planarity. The cationic polymers show low solubility in common organic solvents, however the solubility of the cationic salt can be greatly enhanced by controlling the cation density along the polymer chain by copolymerization.     

The effects of zwitterionic and anionic charge densities in polymer chains on the viscosity behavior of a pH‐responsive hydrophobically modified ionic polymer

Sulfur dioxide, N,N‐diallyl‐N‐carboethoxymethylammonium chloride, and the hydrophobic monomer N,N‐diallyl‐N‐octadecylammonium chloride were cyclocopolymerized in dimethyl sulfoxide using azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as the initiator to afford water‐soluble cationic polyelectrolytes (CPE) having a five‐membered cyclic structure on the polymeric backbone. The CPE on acidic hydrolysis of the pendent ester groups gave the corresponding cationic acid salts (CAS), which, on treatment with sodium hydroxide, were converted to polybetaines (PB) and anionic polyelectrolytes (APE), as well as polymers PB/APE containing various proportions of zwitterionic (PB) and anionic fractions (APE) in the polymer chain. The solution properties of the CPE, APE, and PB/APE systems containing varying amounts of the hydrophobic monomers in the range 0–4 mol % were investigated by viscometric techniques. Treating the pH‐responsive CAS polymers 4 with different equivalents of NaOH varied the zwitterionic and anionic charge densities in the polymer chain. It was found that the PB/APE polymer with a ratio of 33 : 67 for the zwitterionic and anionic fractions in the polymer chain, respectively, gave the highest viscosity value. The polymers showed that concentration (C*_HA) of around 1 g/dL was required for the manifestation of significant hydrophobic associations. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 98: 1404–1411, 2005     

Preparation of cationic pigment dispersions by surface grafting of polystyrene‐maleic anhydride with glycidyltriethylammonium chloride

Novel cationic pigment dispersions, which have potential uses in inkjet inks and coloration of textile and paper, were prepared by grafting quarternary ammonium groups onto the surface of polystyrene‐maleic anhydride encapsulated C. I. pigment yellow 14 (PY 14) powder. It is shown that the Zeta potentials greatly rely on the reaction time and temperature. And also, when the weight ratio of glycidyltriethylammonium chloride (GTA) to encapsulated PY 14 powder was 3 : 1, the Zeta potential of modified pigment dispersion reached to + 35.05 mV. Just due to the high Zeta potential of the prepared cationic pigment dispersions, the prepared cationic pigment dispersion shows good dispersion stability and a narrow size distribution with the average particle size of 202.9 nm. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Electrolyte‐ and pH‐responsive polyampholytes with potential as viscosity‐control agents in enhanced petroleum recovery

Low‐charge‐density amphoteric copolymers and terpolymers composed of AM, the cationic comonomer (3‐acrylamidopropyl)trimethyl ammonium chloride, and amino acid derived monomers (e.g., N‐acryloyl valine, N‐acryloyl alanine, and N‐acryloyl aspartate) have been prepared via free‐radical polymerization in aqueous media. These terpolymers with random charge distributions have been compared to terpolymers of like compositions containing the anionic comonomer sodium 3‐acrylamido‐3‐methylbutanoate. Terpolymer compositions determined by ¹³C‐ and ¹H‐NMR spectroscopy, terpolymer molecular weights and polydispersity indices obtained via size exclusion chromatography/multi‐angle laser light scattering, and hydrodynamic dimensions determined via dynamic light scattering have allowed a direct comparison of the fundamental parameters affecting the behavioral characteristics. The solution properties of low‐charge‐density amphoteric copolymers and terpolymers have been studied as functions of the solution pH, ionic strength, and polymer concentration. The low‐charge‐density terpolymers display excellent solubility in deionized water with no phase separation. The charge‐balanced terpolymers exhibit antipolyelectrolyte behavior at pH values greater than or equal to 6.5 ± 0.2. As the solution pH decreases, these charge‐balanced terpolymers become increasingly cationic because of the protonation of the anionic repeat units. The aqueous solution behavior (i.e., globule‐ to‐coil transition at the isoelectric point in the presence of salt and globule elongation with increasing charge asymmetry) of the terpolymers in the dilute regime correlates well with that predicted by the polyampholyte solution theories. An examination of the comonomer charge density, hydrogen‐bonding ability, and spacer group (e.g., the moiety separating the ionic group from the polymer chain) indicates that conformational restrictions of the sodium 3‐acrylamido‐3‐methylbutanoate and N‐acryloyl valine segments result in increased chain stiffness and higher solution viscosities in deionized water and brine solutions. On the other hand, the terpolymers with N‐acryloyl alanine and N‐acryloyl aspartate segments are more responsive to changes in the salt concentration. An assessment of the effects of the terpolymer structure on the viscosity under specified conditions of the ionic strength and pH from these studies should allow for rational design of optimized systems for enhanced petroleum recovery. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2007.     

The synthesis of water soluble cationic microgels by dispersion polymerization: Their performance in kaolin deposition onto fiber

The water soluble cationic microgels (CMG), intramolecularly cross‐linked cationic polymers of acrylamide (Am) and diallyldimethylammonium chloride (DADMAC), were synthesized with dispersion polymerization in the mixture of tert‐butanol (TBA)/water in the presence N,N′‐methylene‐bisacrylamide (MBA) as the cross‐linker, poly(N‐vinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as the stabilizer and 2,2′‐azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as the initiator. The effects of monomer, cross‐linker, initiator, and stabilizer concentration on both particle size and molecular weight of CMG were investigated. The well dispersed polymer particles were produced in the range of poly dispersity index 1.1–1.4 and the molecular weight distribution with bimodal. Additionally, the efficiencies of two CMGs in the clay deposition on the bleached kraft fibers were investigated and compared with commercially widely used cationic polyacrylamide (CPAM) and poly‐diallyldimethylammonium chloride (poly‐DADMAC). The experiments showed that the CMGs were found as the effective flocculation agents and their efficiencies depended on their molecular weight and charge density. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Synthesis and viscosity of hydrophobically modified polymers containing dendritic segments

The cycloterpolymerizations of a newly synthesized dendritic quadruple‐tailed hydrophobic diallylammonium chloride with the hydrophilic monomer N,N‐diallyl‐N‐carboethoxymethylammonium chloride and sulfur dioxide afforded a series of water‐soluble cationic polyelectrolytes (CPEs) containing various proportions (0–1 mol %) of the hydrophobe. At a shear rate of 0.36 s^?1 at 30°C, salt‐free water solutions of the CPEs (4 g/dL) containing 0, 0.35, 0.53, 0.65, and 0.93 mol % of the hydrophobe had apparent viscosity values of 140, 1200, 180,000, 308,000, and 858,000 cps, respectively. The study clearly demonstrated an increase in the viscosity values with increasing incorporation of the hydrophobes. The CPEs on acidic hydrolysis of the pendant ester groups gave corresponding pH‐responsive cationic acid salts, which upon treatment with NaOH, were converted to the polybetaines (PBs), anionic polyelectrolytes (APEs), and PB/APEs containing various proportions of PB and APE fractions in the polymer chain. The effects of charge type and charge density on the polymer chain were investigated. Polymer surfactant interactions were investigated with the cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide; a considerable increase in the viscosity values of the CPE was observed in the presence of the surfactant. The superior viscosity behavior for the polymers containing the quadruple‐tailed hydrophobe was attributed to the blocky nature of the comonomer. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Quaternized microgels as soft templates for polyelectrolyte layer-by-layer assemblies

A cationic microgel with quaternized amine groups was prepared and used as a soft template for layer-by-layer (LbL) assemblies. The presence of quaternized amine groups inside the microgels was necessary to prevent rearrangements and subsequent bridging between the coated microgels, which were observed for the precursor microgels containing protonated primary amino groups. Sequentially, negatively charged polyelectrolyte poly(sodium styrene sulfonate) (PSS) and positively charged polyelectrolyte poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC) were added to a suspension of quaternized microgels. This leads to an odd-even effect with respect to particle size and surface charge of the formed microgel–polyelectrolyte complexes (MPECs). MPECs with an even number of layers exhibit positive surface charge due to PDADMAC as the outermost layer and are larger compared to complexes with an odd number of layers, which are negatively charged having PSS in the outermost layer. Taking into account previous results (Macromolecules,2009,42, 1229), these observations show that electrostatic interactions are the major force for the odd-even effect in polyelectrolyte multilayers on microgels: the cationic groups of PDADMAC compete with the cationic moieties of the microgel for binding with the sulfonate groups of PSS. Concomitantly, a fluctuating size of the MPECs is induced by an osmotic pressure modulation within the microgel. In contrast, surface tension effects invoked by a possible varying hydrophilicity of the different terminal layers are negligible.     

Acrylamide‐based anionic polyelectrolytes and their applications: A survey

Water‐soluble polymers are found in a very broad range of industrial applications. An important class of these is acrylamide‐based polymers which bear negative charges along the polymer chain and are called anionic polyelectrolytes. These negatively charged polymers are widely used as flocculants, rheology control agents, and adhesives. They are employed especially in oil field operations as viscosity control agents for enhanced oil recovery and to a lesser degree in engineering fluids used for lubrication, for effluent reclaiming, and for opening oil passage channels in oil‐bearing rock. Paper manufacture, mining, and water treatment processes also benefit from the use of acrylamide‐based polymers to flocculate solids in aqueous dispersions. The acrylamide‐based polymers are made by the free‐radical polymerization of acrylamide and its derivatives via bulk, solution, precipitation, suspension, emulsion, and copolymerization techniques. Among these, solution polymerization is a preferred technique because of difficulty with temperature and agitation control in bulk polymerization and the cost of surfactants and solvents for suspension, emulsion, and precipitation polymerization. The anionic polymers may interact with particles in aqueous dispersions in several ways that result in the stability or instability of the dispersions. The particles in solid‐liquid phases can be destabilized through three main mechanisms which promote flocculation and cause destabilization. These mechanisms are polymer bridging, charge neutralization, and polymer adsorption. The particles in solid‐liquid phases can be stabilized by the anionic polymers through both electrostatic and steric repulsive forces. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 2010. © 2010 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Cationic starch derivatives as reactive shale inhibitors for water‐based drilling fluids

One of the major problems associated with the use of water‐based drilling fluids is the interaction of water with specific rock formations, such as shales, and the consequent swelling of reactive clays that may be present in that type of rock. Several types of clays reactivity inhibitors have been used by the oil industry, and the most effective ones are the cationic polyelectrolytes, such as the poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC). However, this polyelectrolyte is very toxic. In this work, a series of cationic starch derivatives with different cationic degrees were synthesized with the objective of evaluating their potential as environmentally correct shale reactivity inhibitors. The results showed that the synthesized derivatives presented a good capacity of adsorption on bentonite and an efficient inhibition of the shale reactivity. The derivative with an intermediate cationic degree presented the best performance. In the tests with the formulated fluids this derivative provided an intact cuttings recovery of 84.8% and a total recovery of 92.3%. These values are very close to those found for the PDADMAC additive, therefore indicating that this cationic starch derivative presents a good potential as inhibitor of the shale reactivity. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 46621.