Properties of Colloidal Solutions

(1) Colligative properties

(2) Tyndall effect

 Tyndall effect is due to the
fact that colloidal particles
scatter light in all directions in
space. This scattering of light
illuminates the path of beam
in the colloidal dispersion.

 Tyndall effect is observed only

when the following two conditions are satisfied.
(i) The diameter of the dispersed particles is not much smaller
than the wavelength of the light used
(ii) The refractive indices of the dispersed phase and the
dispersion medium differ greatly in magnitude.
 Tyndall effect is used to distinguish between a colloidal and
true solution.
 Zsigmondy, in 1903, used Tyndall effect to set up an
apparatus known as ultramicroscope.
 An intense beam of light is focussed on the colloidal
solution contained in a glass vessel. The focus of the light is
then observed with a microscope at right angles to the
beam. Individual colloidal particles appear as bright stars
against a dark background.
 Ultramicroscope does not render the actual colloidal
particles visible but only observe the light scattered by
them. Thus, ultramicroscope does not provide any
information about the size and shape of colloidal particles.

(3) Colour
 The colour of colloidal solution depends on the wavelength
of light scattered by the dispersed particles. The
wavelength of light further depends on the size and nature
of the particles.
 The colour of colloidal solution also changes with the
manner in which the observer receives the light.
 For example, a mixture of milk and water appears blue
when viewed by the reflected light and red when viewed by
the transmitted light.
 Finest gold sol is red in colour; as the size of particles
increases, it appears purple, then blue and finally golden.

(4) Brownian movement

 When colloidal solutions are viewed under a powerful
ultramicroscope, the colloidal particles appear to be in a
state of continuous zig-zag motion all over the field of view.
This motion was first observed by the British botanist,
Robert Brown, and is known as Brownian movement.
 This motion is independent of the nature of the colloid but
depends on the size of the particles and viscosity of the
solution.
 Smaller the size and lesser the viscosity, faster is the
motion.
 The Brownian movement has been explained to be due to
the unbalanced bombardment of the particles by the
molecules of the dispersion medium.
 The Brownian movement has a stirring effect which does
not permit the particles to settle and thus, is responsible for
the stability of sols.

(5) Charge on colloidal particles

 Colloidal particles always carry an electric charge. The
nature of this charge is the same on all the particles in a
given colloidal solution and may be either positive or
negative.
 The charge on the sol particles is due to one or more
reasons, viz., due to electron capture by sol particles during
electrodispersion of metals, due to preferential adsorption
of ions from solution and/or due to formulation of electrical
double layer.
Positively charged sols Negatively charged sols
Hydrated metallic oxides, Metals, e.g., copper, silver,
e.g., Al2O3 .xH2O, CrO3 .xH2O gold sols.
and Fe2O3 .xH2O, etc.
Metallic sulphides, e.g., As2S3,
Basic dye stuffs, e.g., Sb2S3 , CdS sols.
methylene blue sol.
Acid dye stuffs, e.g., eosin,
Haemoglobin (blood) congo red sols.

Oxides, e.g., TiO2 sol. Sols of starch, gum, gelatin,

clay, charcoal, etc.

 The sol particles acquire positive or negative charge by

preferential adsorption of positive or negative ions. When
two or more ions are present in the dispersion medium,
preferential adsorption of the ion common to the colloidal
particle usually takes place.
 When highly diluted solution of silver nitrate is added to
highly diluted potassium iodide solution, the precipitated
silver iodide adsorbs iodide ions from the dispersion
medium and negatively charged colloidal sol results

 when Kl solution is added to AgNO3 solution, positively

charged sol results due to adsorption of Ag+ ions from
dispersion medium
 If FeC13 is added to the excess of hot water, a positively
charged sol of hydrated ferric oxide is formed due to
adsorption of Fe+3 ions

 When ferric chloride is added to NaOH solution a negatively

charged sol is obtained with adsorption of OH _ ions

 The combination of the two layers

of opposite charges around the
colloidal particle is called
Helmholtz electrical double layer.
 According to modern views, the
first layer of ions is firmly held
and is termed fixed layer while
the second layer is mobile which
is termed diffused layer
 This potential difference between
the fixed layer and the diffused
layer of opposite charges is called
the electrokinetic potential or
zeta potential.
 The addition of more electrolytes to sol supresses the
diffused double layer an reduces the zeta potential. This
decreases the electrostatic repulsion between particles to a
 large extent and colloid precipitates. That is why colloid is
particularly sensitive to oppositely charged ions.

(6)Electrophoresis
 When electric potential is
applied across two platinum
electrodes dipping in a colloidal
solution, the colloidal particles
move towards one or the other
electrode. The movement of
colloidal particles under an
applied electric potential is
called electrophoresis.
 When electrophoresis, i.e.,
movement of particles is
prevented by some suitable
means, it is observed that the
dispersion medium begins to
move in an electric field. This
phenomenon is termed
electroosmosis.

(6) Coagulation or precipitation:

 The process of settling of colloidal articles is called
coagulation or precipitation of the sol.
 The coagulation of the lyophobic sols can be carried out in
the following ways:
(I)By electrophoresis,
(ii)By mixing two oppositely charged sols/mutual coagulation
(iii)By boiling
(iv)By persistent dialysis
(v)By addition of electrolytes
 the greater the valence of the flocculating ion/Coagulating
ion added, the greater is its power to cause precipitation.
This is known as Hardy-Schulze rule.

 The minimum concentration of an electrolyte in millimoles

per liter
required to cause precipitation of a sol in two hours is called
coagulating value.
 The smaller the quantity needed, the higher will be the
coagulating power of an ion.

 Protection of colloids
 Gold number
 Gold number is defined as the number of milligrams of a
lyophilic colloid that will just prevent the precipitation of 10
mL of a gold sol on the addition of 1 mL of 10% sodium
chloride solution.
 Higher the gold number, lower will be the protective power.
Protective colloid Gold number
Gelatin 0.005-0.01
Haemoglobin 0.03
Gum Arabic 0.15
Egg albumin 0.08-0.10
Potato starch 25
Sodium oleate 0.4
Gum tragacanth 2
Starch 25-50

 Emulsions
There are two types of emulsions.
(i)Oil dispersed in water (O/W type)
(ii)Water dispersed in oil (W/O type).
 Examples of O/W emulsion are milk and vanishing cream. In
milk, liquid fat is dispersed in water.
 Examples of W/O emulsion are butter and cream
The emulsifying agent forms an interfacial film between
suspended particles and the medium. The principal
emulsifying agents for O/W emulsions are proteins, gums,
natural and synthetic soaps, etc., and for W/O heavy metal
salts of fatty acids, long chain alcohols, lampblack, etc.
 Colloids Around Us
(i)Blue colour of the sky: Dust particles along with water
suspended in air scatter blue light which reaches our eyes and
the sky looks blue to us.
(ii)Fog, mist and rain: The Condensed water droplets being
colloidal in nature continue to float in air in the form of mist or
fog.
 Clouds are aerosols having small droplets of water
suspended in air. Sometimes, the rainfall occurs when two
oppositely charged clouds meet.
 It is possible to cause artificial rain by throwing electrified
sand or spraying a sol carrying charge opposite to the one
on clouds from an aeroplane.
(iii)Food articles: Milk, butter, halwa, ice creams, fruit juices,
et ., are colloids in one form or the other.
(iv)Blood: It is a colloidal solution of an albuminoid substance.
The styptic action of alum and ferric chloride solution is due to
coagulation of blood forming a clot which stops further
bleeding.
(V) Soils: soils are colloidal in nature in which humus acts as a
otective colloid.
(vi) Formation of delta: River water is a colloidal solution of
clay. Sea water contains a number of electrolytes. when river
water meets the sea water, electrolytes present in sea water
coagulate the colloidal solution of clay resulting in its
deposition with the formation of delta.
 Applications of colloids
(i)Electrical precipitation of smoke: Smoke is a colloidal
solution of solid particles such as carbon, arsenic compounds,
dust, etc., in air.

(ii)Purification of drinking water: The water obtained from

natural sources often contains suspended impurities.
Alum is added to such water to coagulate the suspended
impurities and make water fit for drinking purposes
(iii)Medicines: Most of the medicines are colloidal in nature.
For example,
•argyrol is a silver sol used as an eye lotion.
•Colloidal antimony used in curing kalaazar.
•Colloidal gold is used for intramuscular injection.
•Milk of magnesia, an emulsion, is used for stomach
disorders.
•Colloidal medicines are more effective because they have
large surface area and are therefore easily assimilated.
(iv)Tanning: Animal hides are colloidal in nature. When a hide,
which has positively charged particles, is soaked in tannin,
which contain negatively charged colloidal particals, mutual
coagulation takes place. This results in hardening of leather.
This process is termed as tanning.
Chromium salts are also used in place of tannin.
(v)Cleansing action of soaps and detergents
(vi)Photographic plates and films: Photographic plates or films
are prepared by coating an emulsion of the light sensitive
silver bromide in gelatin over glass plates or celluloid films.
(vii)Rubber industry: Latex is a colloidal solution of rubber
particles which are negatively charged. Rubber is obtained by
coagulation of latex.
(viii)Industrial products: Paints, inks, synthetic plastics,
rubber, graphite lubricants, cement, etc., are all colloidal
solutions.