DECEMBER 27, 2022

APPLICATION OF COLLOIDS

CEYA JOSE
CLASS NO. 1462
B.Sc. Biotechnology and Botany
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

NO. TOPIC PAGE NO.

1 Introduction
What are colloids? 2-3
Properties 4
Examples of colloids 5
2 Applications of colloids
In food products 6
In medicine and pharmacy 7
In water treatment and sewage disposal 8
In leather and rubber industry 9
In photography 10
In metallurgy 11
In smoke precipitators 12
In industrial products 13-14
In artificial rain 15
In chemical warfare 16
3 Conclusion 17
4 References 18

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INTRODUCTION
What are Colloids?
Colloids are polyphasic systems made of dispersed phase and dispersed
medium where at least one dimension of the dispersed phase measures
between 10-1000 Å to a few micrometres.
Colloids are the intermediate between true solutions and suspensions.

Based on the physical state of dispersed phase and dispersion medium, colloids
are:
1. Solid sol – solid in solid
2. Sol – solid in liquid
3. Aerosol – solid in gas
4. Gel – liquid in solid
5. Emulsion – liquid in liquid
6. Aerosol – liquid in gas
7. Solid sol – gas in solid
8. Foam – gas in liquid

Based on the nature of interaction between dispersed phase and dispersion

medium, colloids are:

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 1. Lyophilic colloids
2. Lyophobic colloids
Based on the types of particles of the dispersed phase, colloids are:
1. Multimolecular colloids
2. Macromolecular colloids

And also Associated colloids.

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PROPERTIES

1. Heterogeneity: Colloids are heterogenous in nature, consisting of

two phases dispersed phase and dispersion medium.
2. Filterability: Colloids can pass through ordinary filter paper.
3. Stability: Colloids are stable because of the constant motion of the
colloidal particles.
4. Colligative properties: The values of elevation in boiling point,
depression in freezing point, lower vapour pressure etc are much
smaller in colloids compared to true solutions.
5. Brownian movement: It is the continuous rapid zig zag movement
of the colloidal particles in its dispersion medium.
6. Tyndall effect: It is the scattering of light by the sol particles.
7. Sol particles can be seen with an ultramicroscope.
8. Sol particles can be seen with an electron microscope.
9. Sol particles carry an electric charge.
10.Sol particles undergo coagulation or precipitation.

Colloids have wide applications in numerous ways due to these

properties.

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EXAMPLES OF COLLOIDS

1. Blood and plasma

2. Clouds
3. Gold sol
4. Food including butter, milk, fruit juices, ice-cream, mayonnaise,
jellies etc
5. Formation of deltas
6. Fog, rain, haze
7. Blue colour of the sky and oceans
8. Mist, dust, smoke
9. Paints
10.Soaps and detergents
11.Ink
12.Shampoos
13.Pearls and gemstones
14.Alloys
15.Plastics
16.Insecticidal sprays
17.Cement
18.Adhesives
19.Hydroxyethyl starch
20.Gelatine
21.Albumins

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APPLICATION OF COLLOIDS

1. In food products
Most of the foods we intake are largely colloidal in nature. Dairy products
including milk (oil in water), butter (water in oil), cream etc are colloidal
solutions. Ice creams, jellies, halva, fruit juices, whipped cream and
mayonnaise are colloids. 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 different parts of the same molecule. Bread,
cakes, meringue etc are examples of solid sols (gas in solid). Mayonnaise
is an example of a stable emulsion of oil and vinegar, when egg yolk
(lecithin) may be used as an emulsifying agent. Stabilisers are often
added to emulsions to increase the viscosity of the product. These helps
improve the stability of the emulsion, as over time the emulsion may
separate. Stabilisers also increase shelf life, E461 methylcellulose, used in
low fat spreads.

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 2. In medicine and pharmacy
Most of the medicines are colloidal. Colloidal gold and calcium are
injected into the human body for the vitality of the muscles. Argyrol
(silver sol) is used as an eye lotion. Albumin, Hetastarch, and Dextran are
a few other colloids used in medicine. Colloidal systems are used as
therapeutic agents in different areas. E.g., silver colloid-germicidal,
copper colloid- anticancer, mercury colloid- anti syphilis. Liposomes help
in targeted drug delivery as they are easily taken up by the liver and
spleen. Colloidal dispersion of tablets is used in coating over tablets and
granules. Hydroxyethyl starch is made from maize or sorghum which is
primarily amylopectin and can expand almost 1. 4 times the volume
infused and is hence used for anti-inflammatory uses and for better
capillary permeability. The infusion of synthetic colloids begins when a
patient has gone through acute haemorrhage or loss of albumin.
Synthetic colloids are given as slow intravenous push as patients in shock
require sustained intra vascular volume expansion.

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 3. In water treatment and sewage disposal
River, lakes and canal water contain suspended and soluble particles in
the form of colloids. This matter cannot be separated by sedimentation
or filtration. The precipitation of colloidal impurities present in water can
be done by adding certain electrolytes like alum. The negatively charged
colloidal particles of impurities get coagulated by the Aluminium ions into
aluminium hydroxide and settle down. Then the pure water is decanted.
Sewage water contains dirt and mud, which are colloidal and carry
electrical charges. These particles are removed by electrophoresis. In this
method, sewage water is passed through a tunnel fitted with metallic
electrodes and maintained at a high potential difference. The colloidal
particles present in the sewage water migrate to the oppositely charged
electrode and get coagulated. The coagulated colloidal waste can be used
as manure.

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 4. In leather and rubber industry
Raw skin hides of animals contain positively charged colloidal particles.
These particles are coagulated by negatively charged tannin materials.
When they are soaked in tannin, mutual coagulation takes place, and
leather becomes hard. Tanning material used are tannin and compounds
of aluminium and chromium.
Latex obtained from rubber trees is an emulsion consisting of negatively
charged rubber particles in water. Rubber is obtained by the coagulation
of latex. This coagulated mass is subjected to vulcanization and is solid as
rubber with high abrasive strength. Vulcanized rubber is used in making
tyres for vehicles. Rubber plated articles can be prepared directly from
latex by electrically depositing the negatively charged rubber particles
over the article (made anode) which is to be rubber plated.

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 5. In photography
A colloidal solution of silver bromide in gelatin is applied on a glass plate
or celluloid films or paper to form a sensitive plate in photography.
Photographic emulsion is a light-sensitive colloid used in film-based
photography. Most commonly, in silver-gelatin photography, it consists of
silver halide crystals dispersed in gelatin. The emulsion is usually coated
onto a substrate of glass, films (of cellulose nitrate, cellulose acetate or
polyester), paper, or fabric.

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 6. In metallurgy
The colloidal mixture of oil in water is used in the froth flotation process
to separate sulphide ore particles. Froth Flotation is used to separate
sulphide ores from the impurities in the ore (gangue). A detergent is
added to the mixture and it is stirred. The sulphide minerals float, while
the gangue sinks to the bottom and is removed. This is used in making
zinc, where zinc sulphide (sphalerite) is a major zinc ore.

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7. In smoke precipitators
Smoke is a dispersion of fine dust and carbon particles in the air. The
industrial waste gases containing suspended impurities make smoke
more polluting. This leads to the pollution of air. These dispersions of
suspended particles of colloidal dimensions are electrically charged.
So, these can be removed from the air by electrical precipitation. To
achieve this, a high voltage smoke precipitator, called Cottrell
precipitator is used. The smoke along with gases and dust is led
through a tower-like structure, fitted with a high voltage rod-like
filament. The suspended particles get discharged when come in
contact with the filament, and fall down to the bottom. The cleaner
hot air leaves the precipitator from an exit near at the top. The
Cottrell precipitators are being employed in coal-based power
generating units to reduce air pollution.

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8. In industrial products
Toothpaste, lotions, lubricants, coatings are the substances where the
viscosity is very important. The substances added to them to change
and maintain the viscosity are colloidal in nature. These colloid
particles also provide stabilization of the colloidal solution and prevent
the phase separation. They also act as fillers.
Example: various natural gums, microcrystalline cellulose,
carboxymethyl cellulose, and fumed silica.
Paints have been used since ancient times for both protective and
decorative purposes. They consist basically of pigment particles
dispersed in a liquid. The liquid is capable of forming a stable solid film
as the paint “dries”. On exposure to air, the pigments polymerize into
the impervious film.
The most critical properties of inks relate to their drying and surface
properties. Inks must be able to flow properly and attach to the
surface without penetrating it. It should dry very fast. Many inks
consist of organic dyes dissolved in a water-based solvent and are not
colloidal at all. The ink used in printing newspapers employs colloidal
carbon black dispersed in an oil as the dispersion medium. The inks
employed in ball-point pens are gels, made in such a way that the ink
will only flow over the ball and onto the paper when the shearing
action of the ball “breaks” the gel into a liquid; the resulting liquid
coats the ball and is transferred to the paper. In conventional printing,
the pigment particles remain on the paper surface, while the liquid
gradually evaporates.
Soap solutions are colloidal in nature. They remove the dirt and oil
particles either by adsorption or by emulsifying the greasy matter
sticking to cloth. Dettol and Lysol form an oil in water type colloidal
solution which is used as the disinfecting agent.
Synthetic plastics, rubber, graphite, lubricants, cement, etc. are
colloidal solutions. Asphalt emulsion is used for road construction. The
principles of colloids and interface science are used for the successful
formulation and manufacture of photographic products.

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9. In artificial rain
Clouds are aerosols consisting of small droplets of water suspended in
the air (aerosols). Clouds are the colloidal solution. On account of
condensation in the upper atmosphere, the colloidal particles of water
become bigger and bigger till they come down in the form of rain.
They carry an electrical charge. The condensation occurs when the
dust particles are cooled below its dew point. Sometimes rainfall
occurs when oppositely charged clouds meet. In the artificial rain, the
clouds are sprayed by oppositely charged colloidal dust or sand
particles or precipitates of silver iodide. This spraying neutralizes the
charge on cloud resulting in coagulation of the water droplets which
come down in the form of rain.

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10. In chemical warfare
Chemical warfare is the use of the toxic properties of chemical
substances to kill, injure or incapacitate an enemy in warfare and
associated military operations.
Smoke screens are used in wars to hide the movements of troops.
Smoke screens generally consist of very fine particles of titanium oxide
dispersed in air with the help of aircrafts. Titanium oxide screens are
white opaque covers.

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CONCLUSION
The IUPAC definition of the colloidal state is as follows: “The colloidal
state is the state of subdivision in which molecules or polymolecular
particles having at least one dimension in the range of 1 nanometre
and 1 micrometre, are dispersed in some medium”.
Colloids usually feature substances that are evenly dispersed in
another. In such mixtures, the substance that is dispersed is referred
to as the dispersed phase whereas the substance through which it is
dispersed is called the dispersion medium.
A colloid is used as thickening agents in industrial products such as
lubricants, lotions, toothpaste, coatings, etc.
In the manufacture of paints and inks, colloids are useful. In ball-point
pens, the ink used is a gel (liquid-solid colloid).
The suspended impurities contained in the natural water are removed
by adding sulphates of aluminium (alum) and of iron which coagulates
them.
Most of the medicines are colloidal. Colloidal gold and calcium are
injected into the human body for the vitality of the muscles. Argyrol
(silver sol) is used as an eye lotion. Albumin, Hetastarch, and Dextran
are a few other colloids used in medicine.

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REFERENCES

• https://overallscience.com/applications-of-colloids/

• https://thefactfactor.com/facts/pure_science/chemistry/physic
al-chemistry/applications-of-colloids/11934/

• https://www.biotechnologynotes.com/food-
biotechnology/food-chemistry/colloidal-systems-in-food-
functions-types-and-stability-food-
chemistry/14096#:~:text=Food%20hydrocolloids%20are%20hig
h%20molecular%20weight%20hydrophilic%20biopolymers,phas
es.%20They%20are%20sols%2C%20gels%2C%20emulsion%20a
nd%20foam

• https://www.embibe.com/exams/application-of-colloids/

• https://www.vedantu.com/chemistry/application-of-colloids

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