Mechanism of interaction between polyols and aluminum hydroxide gel.

IR spectroscopy and changes in the rate of acid neutralization were used to study the interaction between various polyols and aluminum hydroxide. Hydrogen bonding is responsible for this interaction, although structural requirements limit the polyols that interact with aluminum hydroxide. Mannitol and sorbitol, both linear polyols, interacted with sulfate-containing aluminum hydroxide gel and aluminum hydroxycarbonate gel, while inositol, a cyclic polyol, did not interact. The adsorbed polyol has the favorable effect of inhibiting the polymerization reaction that occurs on aging and the negative effect of reducing the rate of acid neutralization. Thus, the specific polyol and concentration must be carefully selected to maximize the desired effect of stabilizing the gel structure. The presence of mannitol in the reaction medium during precipitation did not significantly enhance gel structure stability, probably because the mannitol was desorbed during the washing process as a consequence of the weak adsorption forces.