Page 14 - Introduction to Colloid and Surface Chemistry

The colloidal state 5

dispersion can often be effected by small quantities of suitable
additives. For example, pronounced changes in the consistency of
certain clay suspensions (such as those used in oil-well drilling) can be
effected by the addition of small amounts of calcium ions (thickening)
18
or phosphate ions (thinning) .
Surface science is, therefore, closely linked with colloid science;
indeed, colloid science is inevitably a part of surface science,
although the reverse does not necessarily hold.
The surface or interfacial phenomena associated with colloidal
systems such as emulsions and foams are often studied by means of
experiments on artificially prepared flat surfaces rather than on the
colloidal systems themselves. Such methods provide a most useful
indirect approach to the various problems involved.

Lyophilic and lyophobic systems

The terms lyophilic (liquid-loving) and lyophobic (liquid-hating) are
frequently used to describe the tendency of a surface or functional
group to become wetted or solvated. If the liquid medium is aqueous,
the terms hydrophilic and hydrophobia are used.
Lyophilic surfaces can be made lyophobic, and vice versa. For
example, clean glass surfaces, which are hydrophilic, can be made
hydrophobic by a coating of wax; conversely, the droplets in a
hydrocarbon oil-in-water emulsion, which are hydrophobic, can be
made hydrophilic by the addition of protein to the emulsion, the
protein molecules adsorbing on to the droplet surfaces.
This terminology is particularly useful when one considers the
phenomenon of surface activity. The molecules of surface-active
materials have a strong affinity for interfaces, because they contain
both hydrophilic and lipophiiic (oil-loving) regions.
The general usage of the terms 'lyophilic' and 'lyophobic' in
describing colloidal systems is somewhat illogical. 'Lyophobic'
traditionally describes liquid dispersions of solid or liquid particles
produced by mechanical or chemical action; however, in these so-
called 'lyophobic sols' (e.g. dispersions of powdered alumina or silica
in water) there is often a high affinity between the particles and the
dispersion medium - i.e. the particles are really lyophilic. Indeed, if
the term 'lyophobic' is taken to imply no affinity between particles
and dispersion medium (an unreal situation), then the particles would
not be wetted and no dispersion could, in fact, be formed. 'Lyophilic'