Polyelectrolytes, water soluble polymers, find widespread applications in many industrial processes and in numerous products in our daily life. An important property of polyelectrolytes is their tendency to adsorb on to solid surfaces like particles or planar plates. This is used to modify solid surfaces and interfaces by polyelectrolyte-based coatings and adhesives. Synthetic (like polyacrylamides) and natural (like chitosan and modified starch) polyelectrolytes and their combinations are used in many fields in order to regulate the stability and flocculation properties of disperse systems. Polyelectrolytes are used either as stabilisers, eg of dye or pigment dispersions or as flocculants, eg in waste water treatment or in paper producing industries. Modified dispersions of silica particles with chitosan, were used in a paper-making process to cover the surface of the paper. Another application is the modification of wood samples to minimise the water penetration and to avoid the swelling of the wood. The aim was the control of water uptake of wood by polyelectrolyte adsorption.
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