A colloid is a mixture in which one substance, consisting of microscopically dispersed insoluble particles, is suspended throughout another substance. Some definitions specify that the particles must be dispersed in a liquid, while others extend the definition to include substances like aerosols and gels. A colloid has a dispersed phase (the suspended particles) and a continuous phase (the medium of suspension). The term colloidal suspension refers unambiguously to the overall mixture. (In a narrower sense, a colloid is distinguished from other types of suspension by the smaller particle size.) Some colloids are translucent because of the Tyndall effect, which is the scattering of light by particles in the colloid. Other colloids may be opaque or have a slight color. Colloidal suspensions are the subject of interface and colloid science. This field of study began in 1845 with Francesco Selmi, who called them pseudosolutions, and was later expanded by Michael Faraday and Thomas Graham, who coined the term colloid in 1861.
Definition
Since the definition of a colloid is so ambiguous, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) formalized a modern definition of colloids: The term colloidal refers to a state of subdivision, implying that the molecules or polymolecular particles dispersed in a medium have at least in one direction a dimension roughly between 1 nanometre and 1 micrometre, or that in a system discontinuities are found at distances of that order. It is not necessary for all three dimensions to be in the colloidal range…Nor is it necessary for the units of a colloidal system to be discrete…The size limits given above are not rigid since they will depend to some extent on the properties under consideration. This IUPAC definition is particularly important because it highlights the flexibility inherent in colloidal systems. However, much of the confusion surrounding colloids arises from oversimplifications. IUPAC makes it clear that exceptions exist, and the definition should not be viewed as a rigid rule. D.H. Everett—the scientist who wrote the IUPAC definition—emphasized that colloids are often better understood through examples rather than strict definitions.
Classification Colloids can be classified as follows:
Homogeneous mixtures with a dispersed phase in this size range may be called colloidal aerosols, colloidal emulsions, colloidal suspensions, colloidal foams, colloidal dispersions, or hydrosols.
Hydrocolloids Hydrocolloids describe certain chemicals (mostly polysaccharides and proteins) that are colloidally dispersible in water. Thus becoming effectively "soluble", they change the rheology of water by raising the viscosity and/or inducing gelation. They may provide other interactive effects with other chemicals, in some cases synergistic, in others antagonistic. Using these attributes, hydrocolloids are very useful chemicals since in many areas of technology – from foods through pharmaceuticals and personal-care products, to industrial applications – they can provide stabilization, destabilization and separation, gelation, flow control, crystallization control, and numerous other effects. Apart from uses of the soluble forms, some of hydrocolloids have additional functionality in a dry form if, after solubilization, they have the water removed – as in the formation breath-strip films, artificial sausage casings, and wound-dressing fibers (some being more compatible with skin than others). There are many different types of hydrocolloids, each with differences in structure, function, and utility; which is best suited to a particular application area may depend on the control of rheology and the physical modification of form and texture. Some hydrocolloids like corn starch and casein are useful foods, as well as rheology modifiers; others have some limited nutritional value, usually providing a source of dietary fiber. The term hydrocolloid may also refer to a type of wound dressing, designed to lock moisture in the skin and help the natural healing process of skin, to reduce scarring, itching, and soreness.
Components Hydrocolloids contain some type of gel-forming agent, such as sodium carboxymethylcellulose (NaCMC) or gelatin. They are normally combined with some type of sealant, like polyurethane, to stick to skin.
Compared with solution A colloid has a dispersed phase and a continuous phase, whereas in a solution, the solute and solvent constitute only one phase. A solute in a solution are individual molecules or ions, whereas colloidal particles are bigger. For example, in a solution of salt in water, the sodium chloride (NaCl) crystal dissolves, and the Na+ and Cl− ions are surrounded by water molecules. However, in a colloid such as milk, the colloidal particles are globules of fat, rather than individual fat molecules. Because colloid is multiple phases, it has very different properties compared to fully mixed, continuous solution.
Interaction between particles The following forces play an important role in the interaction of colloid particles:
Excluded volume repulsion: This refers to the impossibility of any overlap between hard particles. Electrostatic interaction: Colloidal particles often carry an electrical charge and therefore attract or repel each other. The charge of both the continuous and the dispersed phase, as well as the mobility of the phases are factors affecting this interaction. van der Waals forces: This is due to interaction between two dipoles that are either permanent or induced. Even if the particles do not have a permanent dipole, fluctuations of the electron density gives rise to a temporary dipole in a particle. This temporary dipole induces a dipole in particles nearby. The temporary dipole and the induced dipoles are then attracted to each other. This is known as van der Waals force, and is always present (unless the refractive indexes of the dispersed and continuous phases are matched), is short-range, and is attractive. Steric forces: A repulsive steric force typically occurring due to adsorbed polymers coating a colloid's surface. Depletion forces: An attractive entropic force arising from an osmotic pressure imbalance when colloids are suspended in a medium of much smaller particles or polymers called depletants.
Sedimentation velocity
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