Tata Institute of Social Sciences

B.Voc. in Pharmaceutical Chemistry

Semester I

Title of the Project

APPLICATIONS OF COLLOIDS IN PHARMACY

Subject: Applied Chemistry

Name of the Student: Sanket Patil

TISS ID: PH0219/0014/S23

Academic Year: 2023-24

Page | 1
APPLICATION OF COLLOIDS

Page | 2
 TABLE OF
CONTENTS

NO. TOPI PAGE NO.

C
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

Page | 3
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:

Page | 4
 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.

Page | 5
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.

Page | 6
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

Page | 7
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.

Page | 8
 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.

Page | 9
 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.

Page | 10
 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.

Page | 11
 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.

Page | 12
 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.

Page | 13
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.

Page | 14
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.

Page | 15
Page | 16
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.

Page | 17
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.

Page | 18
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.

Page | 19
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

Page | 20