Coalesce.mp3

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A SCIENCE NOTE

There are “in-between” or transitional states of matter—these often occur during phase changes or under extreme or unusual conditions.

Colloids and Gels

Mixtures where one state is suspended in another (solid in liquid, gas in solid, etc.).

Not pure states but can behave in-between two states.

Example: Jello (solid-liquid), fog (liquid-gas).

When colloids collide, several things can happen depending on the conditions like temperature, concentration, surface chemistry, and whether any forces (like electric charge) are acting on them. Here’s what can occur:

They Bounce Off Each Other (Stable Colloid):

Why: If the particles have like charges or are stabilized by surfactants or polymers, they repel each other.

Example: Milk stays mixed because fat droplets repel one another.

They Stick Together (Flocculation or Aggregation):

Why: If repulsive forces are weak or removed (e.g., by adding salt), van der Waals forces or hydrophobic interactions pull them together.

Result: Formation of clumps called flocs.

Example: Muddy water treated with alum to clarify it—particles stick and settle.

They Coalesce (in Emulsions):

This happens mostly in liquid-in-liquid colloids (like oil droplets in water).

The droplets fuse into larger droplets, which can eventually separate into two phases.

Example: Old salad dressing where oil separates from vinegar.

They Break Apart (Rare but Possible):

Under high shear forces (like in a blender or high-speed stirring), colloidal particles can break into smaller ones.

Often used to stabilize a colloid by making particles smaller and more uniform.

The stability of colloids is crucial in food, medicine, cosmetics, and industrial applications.

Colloid science uses tools like the DLVO theory (Derjaguin–Landau–Verwey–Overbeek) to model the balance of forces during collisions.