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Colloids

What Are Colloids?

Behavior of Colloids in an Electric Field
Syneresis
Imbibition
Emulsions
Foams
Viscosity
Summary
Bibliography

Colloid science first came into being in 1861 when Thomas Graham
published the results of his work on the rate of diffusion of substances
in solution. He noted that solutions of substances that could be crystal-
lized diffused rapidly through such membranes as parchment, while
substances that did not produce crystals did not diffuse through these
membranes at all. The crystallizable substances he called "crystal-
loids," while those noncrystallizable substances were designated "col-
loids."

WHAT ARE COLLOIDS?

As a result of his work, Graham concluded that colloids represented

a kind of matter. We know now, however, that the term colloid
designates a dispersed state of matter rather than a kind of matter. We
know further that the size of the particles determines whether they are
in a true solution or a colloidal solution. True solutions contain par-
ticles less than 1 nm in size. Colloidal solutions contain particles of
1-100 nm (10-1000 A) in size. The particles of coarser dispersions are
larger in size than these particles. The particles in a true or a colloidal
solution are too small to be seen with the best microscope.
Two types of colloidal substances are known. One is lyophilic. This
describes substances that easily form colloidal suspensions and have
affinity for the dispersing medium. If the medium is water, the term
hydrophilic is used. Examples of this type are gelatin and glues. The

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F. A. Lee, Basic Food Chemistry
© The AVI Publishing Company, Inc. 1983
26 BASIC FOOD CHEMISTRY

swelling of gelatin in water shows the great affinity between these

molecules.
A lyophobic colloid has little affinity for the dispersing medium. If
the medium is water the term used is hydrophobic. An example of such
a colloid is colloidal gold.
Food chemists are interested mainly in three types of dispersions:
solids in liquids; liquids in liquids, called emulsions; and gases in
liquids, known as foams.
The two usual phases of the colloidal system are the dispersion
medium and the dispersed phase. The particles of the dispersed phase
are known also as micelles, or the discontinuous phase, whereas the
dispersal medium is known as the continuous phase.
The depression of the freezing point and the increase of the boiling
point, as well as osmotic pressure of crystalline substances in solution,
were discussed in Chapter 2. These methods do not lend themselves
satisfactorily for use on colloidal solutions, although molecular weights
of certain proteins, albumin and hemoglobin, have been determined by
means of osmotic pressure, but under very carefully controlled condi-
tions. Other methods have been found to be more adapted to these
determinations.

Behavior of Colloids in an Electrical Field

The charge on protein particles or molecules in colloidal systems
results from the direct ionization of the protein.
Since proteins are amphoteric, they do not possess a net charge at
their isoelectric (neutral) point, and, therefore, do not migrate at this
point. On the alkaline side of this neutral point they are negative and
migrate to the anode. On the acid side they have a positive charge and
migrate toward the cathode. This situation can be demonstrated by
electrophoresis.
Carbohydrate suspensions are usually neutral or slightly negative.
They can, however, capture an ion by adsoprtion from an electrolyte in
the liquid medium. Many different substances can acquire a surface
charge in this way.
A double layer theory of the charge relations at the surface of col-
loidal particles was proposed by Helmholtz-Gouy. This theory con-
siders the charged surface of the colloid to be surrounded by a layer of
oppositely charged ions. This outer layer is further divided into an
immobile layer at the surface of the colloidal particle. Over this is a
mobile layer. The outer and inner layers can be oppositely charged.
Some properties of colloids are dependent on the electrokinetic poten-
tial between the immobile and mobile layers. When this so-called zeta
(0 potential is lowered to a definite value by the addition of electrolytes
it causes the double layers of the colloid particles to contract, often
allowing the particles to aggregate and precipitate.
The precipitation of a hydrophilic colloid can be brought about by the
use of electrolytes in high concentration. This is known as "salting-