COLLOIDS

In 1861, Thomas Graham was working on the diffusion of substances in solution through the
use of membranes. The study led him to classify materials into crystalloids, which are the
substance that crystallized readily and diffuse readily; and colloids, substance which do not
form crystal and do not diffuse.

Colloids are cluster of molecule or single huge molecules (like starch, hemoglobin, and virus)
with size ranging 1 to 2000 A. In old literature, the upper limit of size was set to 1000 A, but
modern colloid chemist believed that 10,000 A is the maximum size of particles that will remain
suspended in a medium for a reasonable period of time. The particles of colloids are so small
that surface effects assume great relative importance in determining their properties or
behavior.

The term colloid- from the greek words Kolla, meaning glue, and eidos, meaning like – was fist
used in 1861 by Thomas Graham to classify mixtures such as starch in water and gelatin.

Represent an intermediate kind of mixture in which solute particles, or dispersed phase, are
suspended in the solvent phase or dispersing medium .

Preparation of Colloids

A colloidal system is prepared by producing particles of colloidal dimensions and distributing

these particles through the dispersion medium. Particles of colloidal size are formed by two
methods:

1. Dispersion Method – In this method, large particles of the substance are broken into particles
of colloidal size. This is accomplished through grinding, stirring, beating, and whipping.
Manufacturers of face powder and paint pigment are grinding large particles using special mills
called colloid mills .

2. Condensation Methods – this is a method where molecules, ions, or atoms are made to
cluster together to form particles of the desired size. An examples of this is the formation of
clouds when water molecules condense and form very small droplets.

Precipitation of Colloids

It can be brought by:

1. Heating

2. Mixing of two colloids with opposite charges (mutual precipitation). Both solution are
precipitated.

3. Addition of ions positive to its charge (Addition of electrolytes). Addition of ions opposite to
its charge neutralized the surface charge hence repulsion between particles are
eliminated/removed. The higher is the charge of the added ions, the more effective it is as
coagulating electrolytes. (Salting out is the process of precipitating colloids by the use of
concentrated salt solution.

4. Seeding (as in cloud seeding with the use of solid Coz and Agl)
5. Cottrel Method of electrical coagulation. Sharply pointed electrodes charged to 20,000 up to
75,000 volts discharged ions in the air. This is absorb by smoke particles thus becoming highly
charged and are therefore attracted to electrodes of opposite charge.

Properties of Colloidal System

Properties True Solutions Colloidal systems Suspensions

1. Particle Size <1mu 1mu to 0.1u >0.1u
2. Homogeneity Homogenous Heterogenous Heterogenous
3. Visibility Invisible Ultramicroscopic Microscopic
4. Optical Property Transparent Tyndall effect Opaque
5. Permeability and Will pass through Will not pass through Will not pass on
Filterability membranes and filters membranes but will membranes and
pass through filters. filters.
6. Motion Molecular Brownian Slow Brownian and
gravitational
7. Osmotic High Low None
Pressure

Tyndall effect

Although colloid particles may be so small that the dispersion appears uniform even under a
microscope, they are large enough to scatter light.

Consequently, most colloids appear cloudy or opaque unless they are very dilute. (Homogenized
milk is colloid)

Furthermore, because they scatter light, a light beam can be seen as it passes through a
colloidal dispersion.

This scattering of light by colloidal particles, known as the Tyndall effect. This effect was first
studied by John Tyndall in 1869. A common example is the scattering of light by dust particles
in a flashlight beam.

Adsorption

Adsorption is a phenomenon in which the atoms and ions becomes attached to the surface of
solids and liquids. It is a process wherein particles of any material adhere to the surface. The
extent of adsorption is dependent on the total surface area of the adsorbing substance or
medium. Colloids are good adsorbents because they have high surface area in relation to
volume.

Uses of Adsorbents
1. Gas mask contain charcoal or other adsorbents which absorb polar molecules.

2. Charcoal removes objectionable odors, flavors, etc.

3. Use in cigarette filter to remove carcinogens.

4. Diatomaceous earth ( a porous finely divided mineral) removes color in raw sugar from
sugarcane.

Type of Colloids

Colloids may involve virtually any combination of physical states (gas in liquid, liquid in solid,
solid in gas, etc.), as illustrated by the examples of colloidal systems given in the below

Phase of Dispersing Dispersed Colloid Type Example

Colloid (solvent-like) (solute-like)
substance substance
Gas Gas Gas - None (all are
solutions)
Gas Gas Liquid Aerosol Fog
Gas Gas Solid Aerosol Smoke
Liquid Liquid Gas Foam Whipped cream
Liquid Liquid Liquid Emulsion Milk
Liquid Liquid Solid Sol Paint
Solid Solid Gas Solid foam Marshmallow
Solid Solid Liquid Solid emulsion Butter
Solid Solid Solid Solid sol Ruby glass

Classification of Colloids

Colloids can also be classified based on the affinity of the dispersed phase with the dispersing
medium:

1. Lyophilic colloid (Hydrophilic)- These are also called emulsoids. This is a colloidal system
where the dispersed phase has an affinity towards the dispersion medium.

Examples of lyophilic colloids are hemoglobin, protoplasm, gelatin, jellies, and gelatinous
precipitates. These are examples are classifies also as sol and gel.

Sol differ from gel since the former has the property of a liquid while the latter has the property
of a solid.

Gels

Under certain condition, the dispersed phase in a colloidal system coagulates so that the whole
mass, including the liquid sets to an extremely viscous body (gel).

The formation of a gel is accompanied by the taking up of water or some other solvent. On
standing, gels often contract squeezing out a dilute solution. Such process is called syneresis.
Example is blood serum.

Gel also swell when placed in water. The process is called imbibition.

Examples of gels are:

1. Silica gel – a colloidal dispersion of hydrated silicon dioxide is formed when dilute HCl is
added to a dilute solution of sodium silicate.

2. Canned Heat – made by mixing alcohol and saturated aqueous solution of calcium acetate.

2. Lyophobic colloids (Hydrophobic). Also called suspensoids, this colloidal system is

characterized by the lack of affinity between the dispersed phase and the dispersion medium.
An example of his type of colloid is the colloidal system of gold in water.

Emulsions

Emulsions are prepared by shaking together two immiscible liquids. Agitation breaks on eliquid
into droplets of colloidal size, which when disperse throughout the other liquid.

However, droplets of the dispersed phase tend to coalesce, forming large drops, and separation
of the two liquid follows. This colloidal system do not form a stable colloidal system by
themselves; they require emulsifying agents of emulsifier.

Examples of Emulsifiers

1. Emulsion of kerosene and water can be stabilized by soap.

2. Milk is an emulsion of butterfat in water with case in as the emulsifying agent.

3. Mayonnaise is an emulsion of vinegar and oil and egg yolk as the emulsifier.

Viscosity

Viscosity is defined as the matter’s ability to resist flow. It is affected by particle size, shape,
and forces of attraction. The bigger is the particle size, the higher is the viscosity. The greater is
the forces of attraction, also, the higher is the viscosity.

Semi-Permeability

Semi Permeability is the selective passage of material in and out of the cell as the result of
the difference in the concentration of diffusible substance on both sides of the cell.

Diffusion is the general term that refers to the process whereby molecules move from high to
low molecular weight molecules, ions, and solutes, but prevents the passage of colloidal
particles.

Dialysis is the separation of ions from colloids by diffusion through a semi-permeable

membrane. It is a process of separating substances from solution by taking advantage of their
differing abilities to pass through porous membrane.

Osmotic Pressure is the pressure that must be applied to a solution to prevent an increase in
volume when the solution is separated from water by a semi-permeable membrane.

Osmotic Pressure of cell can be measures by placing them in a series of solutions of different
osmotic pressure.
1. Hypertonic is a condition where the osmotic pressure of the solution is greater than that of
the cell. The water will pass from the cell to the solution, causing a shrinkage of the cell called
plasmolysis.

2. Hypotonic is a condition where the osmotic pressure of the solution is less than that of the
cell. The water will then pass from the solution to the cell which will cause its swelling called
plasmotypsis.

3. Isotonic is when the cell and the solution have equal osmotic pressure. 0.9% NaCl is
isotonic with human blood cell, also called the physiological salt solution.

To prevent the damage of the cell, it is crucial that fluids within the body cells be isotonic with
the tissue fluid that surrounds them.

Donna Membrane Equilibrium

 The Gibbs-Donnan Equilibrium or Donnan Equilibrium is the basis for electrical charges
that are found across the membranes of many cells (e.g. nerve and muscle cells)
 It refers to the uneven distribution of charged particles on one side of a semipermeable
membrane. These particles are not able to evenly distribute themselves by diffusion
across both sides of the membrane.
 Donnan has pointed out that the situation is altered when an ion on one side of the
membrane is unable to diffuse. In such cases, the concentration of the diffusible ions
vary on each side of the mebrane when equilibrium is established.
 Examples: R- is an anionic protein.
CARBOHYDRATES