Colloids

colloid

By: Nia Pramais Octaviani (22)

 mixture

colloid

Mad e by
solution Con s ist of Ch ar acte r istic
suspension

dispersion Condensa tion Dispersed phase Dispersion medium Electrically charge Tyndall effect application Brown movement
 definition

Colloids are mixtures whose particles are larger

than the size of a molecule but smaller than
particles that can be seen with the naked eye.
Colloids are one of three major types of mixtures,
the other two being solutions and suspensions.
The three kinds of mixtures are distinguished
by the size of the particles that make them up. The
particles in a solution are about the size of
molecules, approximately 1 nanometer (1 billionth
of a meter) in diameter. Those that make up
suspensions are larger than 1,000 nanometers.
Finally, colloidal particles range in size
between 1 and 1,000 nanometers. Colloids are also
called colloidal dispersions because the particles of
which they are made are dispersed, or spread out,
through the mixture.
• Type of colloid depends on Colloids
the medium and the
dispersed phase
• Cannot be filtered
• Separated with
semipermeable membranes
• tiny particles are suspended
in some medium
• the particles are single large
molecules or
• the particles are groups of
molecules or ions from 1 to
1000 nm.
 solution
Sugar solution

In the solution, sugar is spread evenly in

the form of very small particles so that it
cannot be differentiated with it’s medium
although use an ultra microscope.

Water + sugar = homogeneous mixture

particle size  <10-7 cm

Sugar solution
 solution
Sand solution

Sand that mixed with water after stirred will be

precipitated.

Sand + water = hard suspension 

heterogeneous mixture

particle size  > 10-5cm

Sand solution
 solution
Milk solution

Water and milk solution will made a turbid

solution. This solution cannot be filtered
using filtered paper

water + milk= colloid  homogeneous

mixture

particle size 10-7cm s/d 10-5 cm

Milk solution
 solution colloid suspension
homogen homogen heterogen

< 10-7cm 10-7cms/d 10-5cm >10-5cm

Cannot be distinguished Can be distinguished, but using Can be distinguished

although using ultra ultra microscope although using common
microscope microscope

Stable Generally stable

Unstable
1 phase 2 phase
2 phase
 Colloids type Colloids
Examples Dispersing Dispersed Colloid Type
Medium Substance

fog, aerosol gas liquid aerosol

sprays
smoke gas solid aerosol
whipped cream liquid gas foam
mayonnaise liquid liquid emulsion
paint liquid solid sol
marshmallow solid gas solid foam
butter solid liquid solid emulsion
ruby glass solid solid solid sol
• Tyndall effect characteristic
– Light is scattered by particles suspended in water
– Use the Tyndall effect to differentiate between a true
solution and a suspension
• True solution - a homogeneous mixture
– ions and molecules are too small to scatter visible light
• Suspension - particles are suspended in water
– the particles are too large to be dissolved, and so are large
enough to scatter light.
characteristic
 Brownian movement - characteristic
When a colloidal sol is observed under a
ultra microscope, we can find a continuous,
zigzag random motion of particles. This
kinetic activity of particles of colloid is
known as Brownian movement. It depends
on the size of the dispersed phase and
viscosity of the dispersion medium, It is due
to molecular impacts from the medium on
all sizes of dispersed particles.
The movement of colloidal particle is
much slower than that of molecules of
medium, since colloidal particles are heavier
than molecules of dispersion medium.
Brownian movement proves the existence of
molecules and motion of molecules, since
the colloidal particles acquires same energy
possessed by the molecules of dispersion
medium
 characteristic
coagulation
Coagulation is the process by which a colloid precipitates out of a
solution. The precipitation is brought about by induced aggregation.
For e.g., an iron (III) hydroxide sol can be made to aggregate by
addition of an ionic solution. A positively charged particle of iron (III)
hydroxide gathers a layer of anions around it. The thickness of this
layer is determined by the charge on the anions. The greater the
magnitude of the negative charge, the more compact the layer of
charge. For e.g., phosphate ions gather more closely to the positively
charge iron (III) particle than do chloride ions.
 characteristic
Purification Process of Water
• Rivers and lakes are the most
common sources of water used
by municipalities.  The water
should be free from colloidal
impurities, domestic sewages,
industrial effluents and disease
producing bacteria.  Hence
domestic supply of water
involves the following stages in
the purification processes.
 characteristic
1. Screening
       In water treatment group, it is a process of
removing the floating materials like leaves, wood
pieces, etc form water.  The raw water is allowed to
pass through a screen having large number of holes,
which retains the floating materials and allows the
water to pass.
2. Aeration
     In water treatment group, the process of mixing
water with air is known as aeration. 
The main purpose of aeration is,
– To remove gases lime CO2, H2S and other volatile impurities
causing bad taste and odour to water.
– To remove ferrous and manganous salts as insoluble ferric and
manganic salts. 
 characteristic
3. Sedimentation
In water treatment group, it is a process of removing suspended
impurities by allowing the water to stand undisturbed for 2-6 hours in
a big tank.  Most of the suspended particles settle down at the bottom
due to forces of gravity, and they are removed.  Sedimentation
removes only 75% of the suspended impurities.
4. Coagulation:
In water treatment, finely divided clay, silica, etc. do not settle
down easily and hence cannot be removed by sedimentation.  Such
impurities are removed by coagulation method.
In this method certain chemicals called coagulants like alum,
Al2(SO4)3 etc, are added to water.  When the Al2(SO4)3 is added to
water, it gets hydrolysed to form a gelatinous precipitate of Al 2(OH)3. 
The gelatinous precipitate of Al2(OH)3 entraps the finely divided and
colloidal impurities, settles to the bottom and can be removed easily.
5. Filtration
characteristic
In water treatment group, it is process of
removing bacteria, colour, taste, odour and
suspended particles, etc, by passing the water
through filter beds containing fine sand, coarse
sand and gravel.
The sand filter consists of a tank containing a
thick top layer of fine sand followed by coarse
sand, fine gravel and coarse gravel.
 characteristic
6. Sterilization (or) Disinfection
In water treatment group, the process of
destroying the harmful bacterias is known as
sterilization or disinfection.  The chemicals used for
this purpose are called disinfectants.  This process
can be carried out by the following methods.
– By boiling
– By ozonation
– By using ultraviolet radiations
– By chlorination.
 characteristic
electroferosis
The diffusion of charged particles through
fluids or gels (firm jelly-like substances) under
the influence of anelectric field. Particles with
different sizes and charges diffuse at different
rates, so that the effect can be used to separate
and identify large molecules, such
as proteins or fragments of DNA or RNA.
The current forces the molecules through
pores in a thin layer of gel, which is made so
that its pores are just the right dimensions for
separating molecules within a specific range of
sizes and shapes. Smaller fragments usually
travel further than large ones. The process is
sometimes called gel electrophoresis. It is
widely used to analyse body chemicals such as
the various proteins in blood serum. 
 characteristic
Adsorption
Adsorption is a surface phenomenon.
In this process, accumulation or
concentration of a substance takes place
at the surface or interface as compared to
the bulk phases.
This happens because the molecules
of the bulk phase at the surface are
attracted only from below and from the
sides as compared to the molecule inside
the bulk of the phase. In the interior,
molecules experience forces of attraction
from all sides.
 characteristic
Lyophilic and Lyophobic
colloid
Colloidal systems, depending on the nature of attraction between the
dispersed phase and the dispersion medium are classified into lyophobic
(solvent hating) and lyophilic (solvent loving). If water is the dispersion phase
is water, then the colloids are either hydrophilic or hydrophobic.
1) Lyophilic colloids
In this type of colloids sols, the dispersed phase has great attraction for
the dispersion medium. In such colloids, the dispersed phase does not
precipitate easily and the sols are quite stable. If the dispersion medium is
separated from the dispersed phase, the sol can be reconstituted by simply
remixing with the dispersion medium. Hence, these sols are called reversible
sols. Examples of lyophilic sols include sols of gum, gelatine, starch, proteins
and certain polymers in organic solvents.
 2) Lyophobic colloids
characteristic
In this type of colloidal sols, the dispersed phase
has little affinity for the dispersion medium. These
colloids are easily precipitated on the addition of small
amounts of electrolytes, by heating or by shaking and
therefore are not stable. Once precipitated, it is not easy
to reconstitute the sol by simple mixing with the
dispersion medium. Hence, these sols are called
irreversible sols. Examples of lyophobic sols include
sols of metals and their insoluble compounds like
sulphides and oxides. Lyophobic sols need stabilizing
agents to keep the dispersed phase from precipitating
out.
Hydrophobic sols are often formed when rapid
crystallization takes place. With rapid crystallization,
many centres of crystallization called nuclei are formed
at once. Ions are attracted to these nuclei and very small
crystals are formed. These small crystals are prevented
from settling out by the random thermal motion of the
water molecules.
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 Making a colloid
Making a colloid
• Condensation methods
In condensation methods particles
of atomic or molecular size are
induced to combine to form
aggregates of colloidal dimensions.
To achieve this, chemical as well as
physical methods are employed.
a) Chemical methods
b) Physical methods
 Making a colloid

a) Chemical methods
Colloidal sols can be prepared by chemical reactions,
which involve double decomposition, oxidation, reduction
and hydrolysis. Examples of sols made by these methods
are given below:
i) Double decomposition
ii) Oxidation
iii) Reduction
iv) Hydrolysis
 Making a colloid

b) Physical methods
i) Exchange of solvent
In this method, a true solution in mixed with an excess
of another solvent in which the solute is insoluble but the
solvent is miscible. For e.g., a solution of sulphur in
alcohol mixed with excess of water results in a colloidal
sol of sulphur.
ii) By excessive cooling
A colloidal sol of ice in an organic solvent such as
CHCl3 or ether is obtained by freezing a solution of water
in the solvent. The molecules of water, which can no
longer be held in solution separately come together to form
particles of colloidal size.
 Dispersion Making a colloid
methods
In dispersion methods, colloidal
particles are obtained by breaking
large particles of a substance in the
presence of a dispersion medium.
Since the sols formed are unstable,
they are stabilized by adding
stabilizing agents. Some of the
dispersion methods are:
a) Mechanical dispersion
b)Electrical disintegration or
bredig’s arc method
c) Peptization.
 a) Mechanical Making a colloid
dispersion
In mechanical dispersion, the
coarse suspension of the substance
is ground in a colloid mill, a ball
mill or an ultrasonic disintegrator.
The colloid mill consists of two
metal discs, close together and
rotating at high speed (7000
revolutions per minute) in opposite
directions. By the process of such
grinding, the suspension particles
are torn off to the colloidal sizes.
 Making a colloid
b)Electrical disintegration
In this method, an electric arc is
struck between electrodes of the
metal immersed in the dispersion
medium.
The intense heat produced by the
arc vaporizes the metal, which then
condenses to form particles of
colloidal size. By this method, sols
of metals such as gold, silver and
platinum can be prepared.
 Making a colloid
c) Peptization
The process of converting a precipitate into a colloidal sol by
shaking it with the dispersion medium, in the presence of a small
amount of electrolyte, is called peptization. The electrolyte used is
called the peptizing agent. This method is used to convert a freshly
prepared precipitate into a colloidal sol.
In the process of peptization, the precipitate adsorbs one of the ion
of the electrolyte onto its surface. The ion adsorbed on the surface is
generally common with those of the precipitate. Adsorption of ion
results in the development of positive or negative charge on
precipitates and which ultimately break up into colloidal size particles.
For e.g., a precipitate of silver iodide already formed can be dispersed
by the addition of potassium iodide. Here potassium iodide is the
peptizing agent.
 Removed impurities
Removed impurities
The colloidal solutions prepared by various
methods usually contain electrolytes and other
soluble substances as impurities. These impurities
if not removed can destabilize the sols. Impurities
are removed by the following methods:
1) Dialysis
2) Ultra-filtration
3) Ultra-Centrifugation.
 Removal of soluble impurities fromRemoved
sols impurities
by the use of semipermeable membrane is
known as dialysis.
Solutes present in a true solution can pass
through a semipermeable membrane such as Dialysis
parchment paper or cellophane. However, sol
particles cannot pass through such
membranes. When a bag made up of such a
membrane is filled with the colloidal sol and
then placed in fresh water, the soluble
particles such as electrolytes pass through the
membrane and go into the water leaving
behind the colloidal sol.The movement of the
ions across the membrane can be enhanced
by applying electric potential across two
electrodes. This is known as electrodialysis.
 Removed impurities
Ultra-Filtration
In this method, colloidal sols are filtered
through graded filters called ultra-filtrers.
These filters allow the electrolytes to pass
through but not the colloidal particles. These
ultra-filters are made from ordinary filter
papers by impregnating them with colloidal
particles. Filtration is usually carried out by
either by applying pressure or by the use of
suction.
 Removed impurities
Ultra-Centrifugation
Ultra Centrifugation is used to separate
colloidal particles from the impurities by
centrifuging the colloidal sol. Centrifugation
is carried out in a centrifuging machine
where the tube containing the colloidal sol is
rotated at very high speeds. The colloidal
particles settle down at the bottom of the
tube and the impurities remain in the
solution called centrifugate. The settled
colloidal particles are then mixed with an
appropriate dispersing medium to regenerate
the sol.
 application
Application of colloid
• Several modern technologies are based on colloid science. The colloids are
applied from
1. pregnancy tests
 2. paper making,
3.  to coal mining and
4. salad dressing.
• Other applications of colloids include
1.X-rays,
2. scanning probe microscopes and
3.synthetic biological parts.
• Some Nano technology developments involve colloidal particles such as in
creating scratch-free plastic windows for cars and highly resistant paints for
furniture and machines.