INTRODUCTION

The size of the particles which form homogenous or true solution is less than 10-7
cm while the size of particles which form heterogeneous solution is greater than
10-4 cm. The intermediate state between these two is called Colloidal State of
matter.
CLASSIFICATION OF COLLAIDS (i)
Lyophobic Sol :
It is also called hydrophobic sol (if water is used as medium). It is the suspension
of hydrophobic (a water repelling) substance, which contains non-polar groups in
water. This includes dispersal of oil, fats, metal oxide, hydroxide, sulphide, etc, in
water. These sols are quite unstable & require a small amount of electrolyte
(stabilizer) for their stabilization.
(ii) Lyophilic Sol :
It is also called hydrophilic sol (if water is used as medium). It is the suspension of
hydrophilic (water loving) substance which contains polar groups in water. For
example, substances like gum, albumin, gelatine, etc. These sols are quite stable
i.e. require no stabilizer.
(iii) Preparation of Colloids
Lyophilic sols may be prepared by simply warming the solid with liquid dispersion
medium. E.g. Gum with water. On the other hand, lyophobic sols have to be
prepared by special methods.

1. Condensation or Aggregation Methods.

1. Condensation or Aggregation Methods

These methods consists of chemical reactions or change of solvent whereby the
atoms or molecules of the dispersed phase appearing first, aggregate to form
colloidal particles. The conditions (temp., conc. Etc) used are such as permit the
formation of sol particles but prevent the particles becoming too large and
forming precipitate.
The Important chemical methods for preparing lyophobic sols are as follows
A) Double Decomposition:

An Arsenic Sulphide (AS2S3) sol is prepared by passing a slow stream of hydrogen

sulphide gas through cold solution of arsenious oxide (AS2O3). This is continued
till a yellow colour of sol attains maximum intensity.

AS2O3 + 3 H2S ----- AS2S3 (Yellow Sol) + 3H2O

Sols of silver halide are obtained by mixing dilute solutions of silver salts and alkali
halides in equivalent amounts. Silica gel sol is prepared by this method between
dilute solutions of sodium silicate and HCl.

B) OXIDATION

A Colloidal sol of sulphur can be obtained by passing hydrogen Sulphide into

solution of sulphur dioxide in water or through a solution of an oxidising agent
(Bromine water, nitric acid).

SO2 +2H2S ----- 3S+2H2O

H2S + (O) ----- S + H2O

C) REDUCTION
A colloidal solution of a metal like silver, gold and platinum can be prepared by
reducing their salt solutions with suitable reducing agents, such as stannous
chloride, formaldehyde, hydrazine, tannic acid etc.

2AuCl3 + 3SnCl2------2Au (Gold sol.) + 3 SnCl4

Or AuCl3 + Tannic acid ----- Au (Sol.)
D) Hydrolysis

The method is used to prepare hydroxides and oxides of weakly electropositive

metals like Fe, Al or Sn. A red sol of ferric hydroxide, is obtained by adding few
drops of 30% ferric chloride solution to a large volume of almost boiling water and
stirred with a glass rod.FeCl3 +3H2O ----- Fe(OH)3 (Red Sol.) + 3HCl.

The important physical methods for preparing lyophobic sols are:

E) By Exchange of Solvent

When a true solution is mixed with an excess of the other solvent in which the
solute is insoluble but solvent is soluble, a colloidal solution is obtained. For
Example, when a solution of sulphur in alcohol (ethanol) is added to an excess of
water, a colloidal solution of sulphur is obtained due to decrease in solubility.
F) By Excessive Cooling :

The colloidal solution of ice in an organic solvent such as CHCl3 or ether can be
obtained by freezing a solution of water in the solvent. The molecules of water
which can no longer be held in solution separately combines to form particles of
colloidal size.
G) Dispersion Methods :

In this method large particles of the substances are broken, into particles of
colloidal dimensions in presence of dispersion medium. Since the sols formed are
highly unstable. They are stabilized by adding some suitable stabilizer. Some of
the methods employed for carrying out dispersion are as follows:

H) Mechanical Dispersion

In this method, the coarse particles along with dispersion medium is brought into
colloidal state by grinding it in colloidal mill, ball mill or ultrasonic disintegrator.
The solid particles along the dispersion medium are fed into the colloidal mill. The
mill consists of two steel plates nearly touching each other and rotating in
opposite directions with high speed (7000 rev/min). The solid particles are torn
off to colloidal size and are then dispersed in liquid to give the sol colloidal
graphite (lubricant) and printing inks are made by this method. Recently, a
mercury sol has been prepared by disintegrating a layer of mercury into sol
particles in water, by means of ultrasonic vibrator

I) Bredig Arc Method

Mechanical Dispersion
This process involves dispersion as well as aggregation. Colloidal solutions of
metals such as gold, silver, platinum etc. can be prepared by this method. In this
method electric arc is struck between electrodes of metal immersed in the
dispersion medium. The intense heat produced vapourises some of metal, which
then condenses to form particles of colloidal size
 J) Peptisation
Peptisation may be defined as the process of converting a precipitate into
colloidal form by shaking it with dispersion medium in the presence of small
amount of electrolyte. The electrolyte used for this purpose is called Peptizing
Agent. This method is applied, generally, to convert fresh precipitate into colloidal
solution because such precipitates are simply clusters of particles of colloidal size
held by weak forces.
Classification Based on Properties of Sol Particle
Classification of sols on the basis of properties are given as

 Multi Molecular Colloids

When a dissolution occurs atoms or smaller molecules of substance [having a
diameter less than 1nm] aggregate together to form particles of colloidal
dimensions. The particles thus formed are called multimolecular colloids.

In these sols, the dispersed phase consists of aggregates of atoms or molecules

with a molecular size less than 1 atm. For example sols of gold atoms and sulphur
(Sf) molecules. In these colloids, the particles are held together by physical forces
called Van der Waals forces. Metallic sols are usually multimolecular sols
prepared by Bredig’s are melted. These are usually lyophobic unstable, and
separation is early possible.

 Macromolecular Colloids
These are substances having big size molecular called macromolecular which on
demolition form size in the colloidal ran such substance are called
macromolecular colloids. Thus macromolecule forming the dispersed phase are
generally polymers having very high molecular masses.
Naturally occurring macromolecular are starch, cellulose proteins, enzyme gelatin
etc. Artificial macromolecular and synthetic polymers such as nylon, polyester,
plastics, polishers etc. They have usually lyophobic sols Examples of Colloidal :

1) Cloud:

It contains air which is the dispersion medium and droplets of water as a

dispersed phase. These are aerosol.

2) Gold sol:

It is a metallic sol in which gold particles are dispersed in the water

Application of Colloids :

Colloids are widely useful in industries, medical and domestic applications.

• As food items: Syrup, Halwa, Soup belongs to a colloidal type of system.

• Medicine: Colloidal silver in the name of Argyrols, it acts as antiseptic for eye
infection.
In Purification of air by Cottrell precipitator:

This process involves coagulation of solution particle. Dust or smoke is passed

through the inlet of an electrified chamber which has a central electrical plate
which is provided with opposite charge of a dent a smoke particle when dust
passes the particles are coagulated and pure air is passed through another outlet.

Tanning of leather:

Animal skins are very soft, when these are immersed in the solution of tannin
which has the opposite charge of animal skin, particles are coagulated and the
skin becomes hard this is known as tanning of leather.

Formation of delta:

It involves coagulation of clay particles of the river with an electrolyte of

seawater.

Purification of Colloids :
Colloids contain ionic impurities and other categories of impure substances that
decrease the quality of colloids used in various applications. Following are the
methods to purify the colloids.

1) Dialysis
Method of separation of ionic substances from the colloidal solution by means of
effusion through a suitable membrane is dialysis. The principle is that sol particle
cannot pay through parchment paper or semipermeable membrane due to the
impurity slowly diffused out of the base leaving pure colloid.

2) Electro Dialysis
Dialysis is a slow process and takes so much time for the removal of impurities.
The process is improvised by an applied electrical force. This is known as
electrodialysis. In this method two electrical plates are inserted into the distilled
water and are connected to the terminals of source, long moves to the opposite
electric plate with greater speed and the sol is purified.

3) Ultrafiltration

Normal filter papers cannot be used to filter the impurities of colloid since due to
the large size of pores, impurities along with sol particle will be filtered off. The
pore size is reduced by impregnating the papers in collodion solution which is 4 –
s. Calculate nitrate solution in alcohol – ether mixture and dried with
acetaldehyde. This is known as ultrafiltration and such papers are known as
ultrafilter papers.

CAUSE OF PEPTISATION

 During peptisation, the precipitate adsorbs one of the ion of the electrolyte
on its surface. The adsorbed ion is generally common with those of the
precipitate. This causes the development of positive or negative charge on
precipitates which ultimately breaks up into smaller particles having the
dimensions of colloids. For example: When freshly precipitated Fe(OH)3 is
shaken with aqueous solution of FeCl3 (Peptising agent) it adsorbs Fe3+
ions and thereby breaks up into small sized particles of type Fe(OH)3 /
Fe3+. Similarly a precipitate of AgCl on shaking with dilute solution of
AgNO3, adsorbs Ag+ ion and gets peptised to colloidal particles of type AgCl
/ Ag+. In some cases, peptisation can also be achieved by organic solvents.
 For example: Cellulose nitrate is peptised by ethanol. The colloidal solution
so obtained is known as Colloidion.

MATERIALS REQUIRED
Two beakers of 250 ML & 50 ML, Funnel, glass rod, tripod-stand, wire gauze,
burner, filter papers, distilled water (100 ML), Arabic gum 4.5 g

THEORY
Gums are naturally occurring complex polysaccharides. Gum is secreted by stems
of trees to seal wounds in the bark. All gums are soluble in water. Gums on
heating with water get hydrolysed to yield a number of monosaccharides which
are smaller in size. Thus, a colloidal sol is obtained.

PROCEDURE

a. Take 4-5 g of dry Arabic gum in a mortar and grind it with the help of pestle.
b. Transfer gum powder in a 250 ML beaker, add 100 ML distilled water and
heat the mixture up to 600C with constant stirring for 4-5 minutes.
c. Stop heating, allow the solution to cool up to room temperature and filter
it.
d. The filtrate obtained is the required sol.
PRECAUTIONS

a. Mortar, pestle, beakers, glass rod should be properly cleaned.

b. Stirring should be done constantly during addition of gum powder to hot
water.
c. Distilled water must be used for preparation of sol.
CONCLUSION

• Advantages of Arabic gum sol :

(i) It is used in pharmaceuticals as a demuicent. (ii)
It is used topically for healing wounds.
• Disadvantages of Arabic gum sol :
(i) Ingestion of Arabic gum sol may raise serum cholesterol
(ii) Allergic reactions to Arabic gum sol may cause respiratory problems.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

1. NCERT chemistry text book(class 12)

2. https://www.webmd.com
3. https://edu.rsc.org
4. http://www.nitjsr.ac.in