Colloids

There are different kinds of mixtures. For example, a homogeneous mixture

involving ionic or covalent solids dispersed evenly in water or some other solvent
to form a solution. There are heterogeneous mixtures where the components do
not mix what so ever like oil and water. There are other types of mixtures which
do not fall strictly into one of these two extremes rather fall in between. one such
example, is called suspension. Suspension is a heterogeneous mixture composed
of large particles which are visible to the naked eye. An example is a mixture of
mud and water. They neither remain completely separated like oil and water nor
they are completely dispersed instead they simply remain cloudy.
We can also create a mixture in between homogeneous solution and suspension.
This is usually formed because the particle size is larger than that of ions/molecules
but smaller than the suspension particles. Such a solution is called colloid or
colloidal dispersion.
 A colloid is a dispersion of particles of one substance (the dispersed phase)
throughout another substance or solution (the dispersion medium or continuous
phase). The terms are analogous to solute, solvent and solution in ordinary solutions.
Fog is an example of a colloid. It consists of very small water droplets (dispersed
phase) in air (dispersion medium). A colloid differs from a true solution in that the
dispersed particles are larger than the ions/molecules. The particles range from
about 1nm to about 1000 nm. In true solution the particle size is less than 1 nm and
in suspension the particle size is more than 1000 nm.
To illustrate the difference in solution, colloid and suspension, let us look, a salt in
in water, milk, and mud in water. The difference in characteristics of these is due to
the difference of particle size.
 Tyndall Effect
Although a colloid appears to be homogeneous because the dispersed particles
are quite small, it can be distinguished from a true solution by its ability to scatter
light. The scattering of light by colloidal-size particles is known as Tyndall Effect.
For example, the atmosphere appears to be a clear gas, but a ray of sunshine
against a dark background shows up many fine dust particles by light scattering.
Similarly, when a beam of light is directed through clear gelatin (a colloid), the
beam becomes visible by the scattering of light from colloidal gelatin particles.
In an aqueous solution of sodium chloride the beam of light is not visible.
Types of colloids: Colloids are characterized according to the state (solid, liquid or
gas) of the dispersed phase and of the dispersion medium/continuous phase. A
list of various types of colloids with some examples of each is given in the
following
table.
 TABLE
Dispersed medium Dispersion phase Name Example
Gas Liquid Aerosol Fog, Mist
Gas Solid Aerosol Smoke
Liquid Gas Foam Whipped cream
Liquid Liquid Emulsion Mayonnaise
Liquid Solid Sol AgCl(s) dispersed in water
Solid Gas Foam Pumice, plastic foam
Solid Liquid Gel Jelly, opal (mineral with
liquid)
Solid Solid Solid sol Ruby glass (glass with dispersed
metal)
Clouds/fogs/mists are colloids of liquid dispersed in gas, the smokes are solid
dispersed in gas. Milk/mayonnaise/butter involves liquid dispersed in liquid.
Jelly/gel are liquid dispersed in solid. Foam/whipped cream involves gas in liquid.
We can see that there are wide variety of colloids.

In order to prepare colloids we must prepare first the particles of colloidal

dimensions that means they must be above or bigger the size that generate a
solution but below the size that generate the suspension. Then we distribute the
particles through out a dispersion medium. There are two ways we can prepare
the
particles. First by breaking down the larger particles, this is how pigments are
produced. The other way is by combining smaller molecules. The cloud is formed
in this way. Water molecules high up in the atmosphere get very cold and are able
to condense to form tiny droplets and aggregate. If the droplets are too large to
 remain in the cloud they get precipitated which causes rain and snow.
There are some substances which spontaneously form colloidal system when they
mixed with water. Gelatin and starch are of such substances. These substances
contain particles which already of colloidal size, the water simply disperses them.
Another type of colloid is called emulsion. This occurs when two immiscible liquids
are forcibly blended. One liquid breaks into colloidal droplets which disperse
throughout the other. This is why oil spill in the ocean are hard to clean up. The
waves causes the emulsion to form. But sometime colloids coalesce and separate
from the other liquid. Separation may be prevented by using the emulsifying
agents.
The emulsifying agents are the substances that inhibit the coalescence of the
dispersed liquid. Milk and Mayonnaise are the examples of emulsion. Milk is an
emulsion of butterfat in water with a protein casein acting as the emulsifying agent.
Mayonnaise is an emulsion of oil in vinegar with egg yolk as a component acting
 as the emulsifying agent.
Sometimes colloidal particles can bear an electrical charge. In a particular system
all the colloidal particles may have the same charge which helps keep the particles
dispersed since like charges repel each other. We can take advantage to utilize
charges to remove the particles from mixture. By placing electrodes, charged
colloids attracted by the respective electrodes and loose their charges and
coagulate as precipitates. This is how we remove carbon and dust particles from
the smoke. A smoke is passed through an electrostatic precipitator where the
charged particles in the colloid are attracted to the electrodes and they are
neutralized and are deposited as dust particles. This process is used in the
industries as well as at home.
Hydrophilic and Hydrophobic colloids
Colloids in which the dispersion medium is water are divided into two major
classes: hydrophilic colloids and hydrophobic colloids. Hydrophilic colloid is a
colloid in which there is a strong attraction between the disperse phase and the
dispersion medium. Many such colloids consist of macromolecules (very large
molecules) dispersed in water. Protein solutions, and gelatin in water, are
hydrophilic colloids. Gelatin molecules are attracted to water molecules by
London forces and hydrogen bonding.
A hydrophobic colloid is a colloid in which there is a lack of attraction between the
dispersed phase and dispersion medium (water). Hydrophobic colloids are
basically unstable. Given sufficient time, the dispersed phase aggregates into
larger particles. In this behavior, they are quite unlike true solution and
hydrophilic colloids. The time taken to separate may be extremely long, however.
A colloid of gold particles in water prepared by Michael Faraday in 1857 is still
preserved in the British Museum in London. This colloid is hydrophobic as well as
sol (solid particles dispersed in water).
Hydrophobic sols are often formed when a solid crystallizes rapidly from a
chemical reaction or a supersaturated solution. When crystallization occurs
rapidly, many centers of crystallization (called nuclei) form at the same time. Ions
are attracted to these nuclei and very small crystals form. These small crystals are
prevented from settling out by the random thermal motion of the solvent
molecules, which continue to buffet them.

Coagulation: Coagulation is the process by which the dispersed phase of a colloid is

made to aggregate and thereby separate from the dispersed medium. An iron (III)
hydroxide sol can be made to aggregate by the addition of an ionic solution,
particularly if the solution contains anions with multiple charges (such as phosph-
ate ions, PO43-). Phosphate ions gather more closely to the positively charged
colloidal particles than do singly charged ions (as Cl -). If the ion layer is gathered
close to the colloidal particle, the overall charge is effectively neutralized. In that
case, two colloidal particles can approach enough to aggregate.
The curdling of milk when it sours is another example of coagulation. Milk is a
colloidal suspension in which the particles are prevented from aggregating
because
they have electric charges of the same sign. The ions responsible for the
coagulation (curdling) are formed when lactose (milk sugar) ferments to lactic
acid.
A third example is the coagulation of colloidal suspension of soil in river water
when the water meets the concentrated ionic solution of an ocean. The Mississippi
Delta was formed in this way.
Association colloids:
When molecules or ions that have both a hydrophobic and a hydrophilic end are
dispersed in water, they associate or aggregate, to form colloidal-sized particles, or
micelles. A micelle is a colloidal-sized particle form in water by the association of
molecules or ions that each have a hydrophobic end and a hydrophilic end. The
 hydrophobic ends point inward toward one another, and the hydrophilic ends are
on the outside of the micelle facing the water. A colloid in which the dispersed
phase consists of micelles is called Association colloid.
Ordinary soap in water provides an example of a association colloid. Soap consists
of compounds such as sodium stearate, C 17H35COONa. The stearate ion has a long
hydrocarbon end that is hydrophobic(because it is nonpolar) and a carboxylic
group (COO-) at the other end that is hydrophilic (because it is ionic). In water
solution, stearate ions associate into micelles in which the hydrocarbon ends point
inward toward one another and away from the water, and ionic carboxyl group
are on the outside of the micelle facing the water.
The cleansing action of soap occurs because oil and grease can be absorbed into
the hydrophobic centers of soap micelles and washed away. Synthetic detergents
also form association colloids. Sodium lauryl sulphate is a synthetic detergent
present in toothpastes and shampoos.
 Sodium lauryl sulphate has a hydrophilic sulphate group ( ----OSO3-) and a
hydrophobic dodecyl group (C12H25----, the hydrocarbon end).

Origin of charge on colloidal particles (Electrical properties of colloidal solution)

Basically particles of colloidal solutions carry some type of charge while the disper-
sion medium carry an equal and opposite charge. Colloidal particles carry similar
charges and repel each other and that prevents them from settling down. There
are three ways by which colloidal particles acquire charges on them.
(i) Preferential adsorption of ions: If an aqueous solution of silver nitrate is added
to an aqueous solution of potassium iodide, it forms a negatively charged sol.
AgNO3 + KI → AgI (ppt) + KNO 3
(disperse phase) (dispersion medium)
 K+
K+ I- I- I- K+
I- AgCl I- K+ Gouy-Chapman layer(diffuse layer) or Mobile layer

K+ I- I- solid particle

K+ I- K+
K+
Stern layer or Fixed layer

Around AgCl ppt, there will be a layer formed of negatively charged I -. Iodide
ion is common in both the ppt and the dispersion medium. So the colloid is negatively
charged. This layer of negative charge is called Stern layer or Fixed layer.
Again around the fixed layer, K+ ion will form another layer of positive charge which
is called Mobile layer or Gouy-Chapman layer (or Diffuse layer).
Now if we use KI as the dispersed phase and AgNO 3 as dispersion medium, the
colloid of AgCl will be positively charged. Around AgCl ppt, there will be a fixed
layer formed of Ag+ (since Ag+ is common between the solid particle and the
dispersed medium). The mobile layer will be of NO 3- around the fixed layer in this
case .
NO3-
NO3- Ag+ Ag+ NO3-
Ag+ AgCl Ag+ NO3- Gouy-Chapman layer(diffuse layer) or Mobile layer

NO3- Ag+ Ag+ solid particle

NO3- NO3-

Stern layer or Fixed layer

The potential difference between the fixed layer and the mobile layer is called
Zeta potential or Electrokinetic potential. The layers are called Helmholtz double
layers.
In case of FeCl 3 as dispersed phase in water, Fe(OH)3 ppt will be surrounded by
the Fe3+ ion and will form positively charged colloids. Similarly, FeCl3 in NaOH
solution as dispersion medium negatively charged colloidal sol will be produced.
Fe(OH)3 ppt will be surrounded by OH- ions.
(ii) Particles of colloidal solutions may acquire electric charge due to the adsorbed
molecular dissociation: Colloidal particles have strong affinity to adsorb reactants
and products molecules. After the adsorption, the molecules may dissociate or
ionize into ions and may impart charge to the colloidal particles.
 (iii) Another way of acquiring charge is by the dissociation of large molecules
and forming colloidal aggregates. The following type of aggregate is
called
micelle.
 Electrophoresis of colloidal solution:
The colloidal particles and dispersion medium in a given system carry electrical
charges equal in magnitude and opposite in sign. It is therefore expected that
the particles migrate in one direction in an electric field. Hence, the migration of
electrically charged colloidal particles in one direction under the influence of an
electrical field is called Electrophoresis. The phenomenon of electrophoresis
can be demonstrated by an apparatus as shown below. The apparatus consists of
an U tube filled with colloidal dispersion. Water is added slowly over the sol to
form a sharp boundaries between sol and water in the two arms of the tube.
Two platinum electrodes are inserted in water in two arms of the tube and are
connected to a high voltage battery. When an electric field is applied, the
boundary in one arm is seen to move down and in the other arm to move up.
If it is observed that the boundary falls gradually on the negative electrode side and
moves up on the positive electrode side, then the particles migrate towards positive
electrode and they are negatively charged. If the reverse occurs, then particles carry
positive charge. If the electrophoresis is allowed to proceed until the particles reach
the oppositely charged electrode, the particles are discharged and coagulate out.
Electro-osmosis of colloids:
The charged colloidal particles move under the influence of an electric field during
electrophoresis. If electrophoresis is avoided by maintaining the particles
stationery, the dispersion medium will move under the influence of an electric
field. This movement of dispersion medium under the influence of an electric
field is called electro-osmosis. The process of electro-osmosis may be described
with the help of the following figure:
The colloidal solution is placed in the compartment, X . Y and Z are the
compartments which contain the dispersion medium are separated by the
membrane partitions. The levels of the dispersion medium in the capillary tubes
T and T1 are noted. When a potential is applied at the electrodes, there will be
flow of dispersion medium from one side to the other. This can be observed by
looking at the levels of dispersion medium in the capillary tubes T and T 1. The level
of dispersion medium is observed to fall on one side and rise on the side. If the
colloidal particles are negatively charged then the dispersion medium will be
positively charged and moves to the negative electrode. Similarly, if the colloidal
particles are positively charged the dispersion medium will be negatively charged
and moves to the positive electrode.
Development of electro-dewatering process: Electro-osmosis has been used for
soil drying especially for building purposes, dryer soil strengthens the bond
between the foundation and the soil. Electro-osmosis is also used for removing
water from clay, peat, excavation mud, tomato paste suspension and other food
processing, vegetable sludge, mine tailings and organic humus. Commercial full-
scale equipments of sludge electro-dewatering are available in the market such
as CINETIC linear Electro-dewatering(EIMCO WATER TECHNOLOGY), EDW (Water
Technology of Australia) and Electrokinetic (Electrokinetic limited,UK).
 Application of Colloids
Blue colour of sky: The blue colour of sky is due to the scattering of light by small
particles (dust particles along with water molecules) of colloidal size in the
atmosphere. As the wave length of blue colour is shortest and that of red colour
is longest, the blue light is scattered most and the red light is scattered least. The
scattered blue light reaching the eye gives the appearance of a blue sky. When the
aeroplane is flying high where there is no particles or air vapour then no scattering
of any colour takes place and the sky looks black.
Blue colour of the sea is also due to the scattering of blue light by the colloidal
particles present in sea water.
Fog, Mist and Rain : Fog, mist and rain are all colloidal in nature. In winter, at
night,
the moisture in the air condenses on the surface of the dust particles and form
tiny droplets. These droplets being colloidal in nature, float in the air and form
mists or fog. Clouds are the colloidal solution. these are aerosols consist of small
droplets of water suspended in air. When the droplets are big enough they
condense and fall down as rain. Small droplets carry electric charges. Sometimes
rain fall occurs when oppositely charged clouds meet.
Thickening agents: Toothpaste, lotion, lubricants and coatings are the substances
where the viscosity (degree of flowness) is very important. The substances added
to them to change and maintain the viscosity are colloidal in nature.
Ink: Ink used in printing newspapers employs colloidal carbon black dispersed in
an oil as the dispersion medium.
Rubber: Latex obtained from rubber trees is an emulsion consisting of negatively
charged rubber particles in water. Rubber is obtained by coagulation of latex.
Leather Tanning Industries: Raw skin hides of animals contain positively charged
colloidal particles. These particles are coagulated by negatively charged tanning
materials (compounds of aluminium and chromium). After tanning the leather
becomes harder.
Cleansing action of soaps: Soap solutions are colloidal in nature. They remove dirt
and oil particles either by adsorption or by emulsifying the greasy matters sticking
to cloth.
Disinfectants: Dettol and lysol form an oil in water type colloidal solution which is
used as the disinfectants.
Metallurgy: The colloidal nature of oil in water is used in the froth flotation
process to separate sulfide ore particles.
Photography: Photographic plates and films are produced by coating an emulsion
of light-sensitive material like silver bromide in gelatin over plates or celluloid
films.
Sewage precipitation: Dirty muddy water from gutters and drainages is called
sewage. Sewage is a colloidal form of solution. Sewage water containing colloidal
particles of mud, rubbish etc is collected in a tank fitted with electrodes. On
applying an electric field, colloidal particles are attracted towards oppositely
charged electrodes. As their charges get neutralized, they settle as precipitates.
The precipitated or coagulated matter called sludge is used as manure while clear
water is used for irrigation.
Smoke: Smoke is a colloidal solution of negatively charged carbon particles in the
air (aerosol). The carbon particles may condense water vapour on them and thus
cities may have a thick cover of smog(smoke + fog). This smog causes air pollution.
Food: Most of the food we eat is largely colloidal in nature. The function of food
colloids has less to do with the nutritional value than appearance, texture and
‘mouthfeel’. Mouthfeel is the ability to melt (transform from gel to liquid
emulsion) on contact with the warmth of the mouth.
Dairy products: Milk (butter fat in water), butter (water in oil), halva, ice-cream all
are in colloidal forms.
Eggs: The raw egg white is a colloidal-sol of long chain protein molecules, all
curled up into compact folded forms due to hydrogen bonding between differnt
parts of the same molecule. On heating, the hydrogen bonds are broken and
proteins unfold. The opened chains tangle and bind with each other, transforming
the sol into cross-linked hydrogel, and changes its appearance to opaque white.
Purification of water: Water is usually purified by the addition of certain
electrolytes such as potash alum, aluminium sulfate etc. these includes the
phenomenon of coagulation. The impure water usually contains dispersed
colloidal particles which can not be removed by filtration. When alum is added to
impure water, the negatively charged particles of impurities get coagulated by the
action of Al3+ furnished by alum and can be removed by filtration or by
decantation.
Soil: A fertile soil is colloidal in nature in which humus acts as a protective colloid.
Most soil colloids are negatively charged and therefore attract cations, Ca 2+,
Mg2+ and K+ into the outer parts of the double layers. As these ions are loosely
bound, the plant roots can absorb these essential nutrients. Similarly these ions
are released into the soil again when the plant dies.
Formation of Delta: River water is a colloidal solution of clay and sand which
mainly carry a negative charge. Sea water contains different electrolytes, mainly
Na+, Mg2+ and Ca2+. When the river meets the sea, the electrolytes in sea water
bring about coagulation of clay particles in the river water. Thus the clay particles
aggregate and settle down. This results in the formation of a Delta in due course.
Medicine: Colloidal medicines can act on a large surface area, hence they are
easily assimilated by the body and they are more effective.
Blood: Blood is a colloidal solution of albuminoidal substances. Bleeding from a
cut can be stopped by using a concentrated solution of ferric chloride or potash
alum. In this case the coagulation of blood takes place and a clot is formed which
prevents further bleeding.