Lysozyme as a flocculant-inducing agent improving the silica removal from aqueous solutions - A turbidimetric study
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Updated: Feb 6, 2026

Procedure to Evaluate the Efficiency of Flocculants for the Removal of Dispersed Particles from Plant Extracts
Published on: April 9, 2016
Katarzyna Szewczuk-Karpisz1, Małgorzata Wiśniewska2
1Institute of Agrophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Doświadczalna 4, 20-290 Lublin, Poland.
Abstract:
In this paper, the lysozyme (LSZ) adsorption impact on the silica suspension stability was established. In other words, the stabilization/destabilization mechanism of the SiO2/LSZ system was explained based on the adsorption, electrokinetic and stability measurement results. Lysozyme adsorbs on the silica surface in the whole pH range. This process contributes to the changes in silica surface charge and zeta potential values. The lysozyme addition influences the system stability too. At pH 7.6 and 9, a large decrease in the silica suspension stability was found. It is connected with the neutralization of solid negative charge by the positively charged macromolecules. As a result, large aggregates can be formed, which is highly desirable in the silica removal procedure.
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