Interface and colloid science is an interdisciplinary intersection of branches of
chemistry
Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a physical science within the natural sciences that studies the chemical elements that make up matter and chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules a ...
,
physics
Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...
, nanoscience and other fields dealing with ''
colloid
A colloid is a mixture in which one substance consisting of microscopically dispersed insoluble particles is suspended throughout another substance. Some definitions specify that the particles must be dispersed in a liquid, while others exte ...
s'',
heterogeneous systems consisting of a mechanical mixture of
particle
In the physical sciences, a particle (or corpuscle in older texts) is a small localized object which can be described by several physical or chemical properties, such as volume, density, or mass.
They vary greatly in size or quantity, from s ...
s between 1 nm and 1000 nm dispersed in a continuous medium. A colloidal solution is a heterogeneous mixture in which the particle size of the substance is intermediate between a
true solution and a
suspension, i.e. between 1–1000 nm. Smoke from a fire is an example of a colloidal system in which tiny particles of solid float in air. Just like true solutions, colloidal particles are small and cannot be seen by the naked eye. They easily pass through filter paper. But colloidal particles are big enough to be blocked by parchment paper or animal membrane.
Interface and colloid science has applications and ramifications in the chemical industry, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, ceramics, minerals,
nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter with at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometers (nm). At this scale, commonly known as the nanoscale, surface area and quantum mechanical effects become important in describing propertie ...
, and microfluidics, among others.
There are many books dedicated to this scientific discipline,
[Dukhin, A. S. and Goetz, P. J. ''Characterization of liquids, nano- and micro- particulates and porous bodies using Ultrasound'', Elsevier, 2017
] and there is a glossary of terms, ''Nomenclature in Dispersion Science and Technology,'' published by the US
National Institute of Standards and Technology
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is an agency of the United States Department of Commerce whose mission is to promote American innovation and industrial competitiveness. NIST's activities are organized into Outline of p ...
.
[Hackley, V.A. and Ferraris, C.F]
"The Use of Nomenclature in Dispersion Science and Technology"
NIST, special publication 960-3 (2001);
See also
*
Interface (matter)
In the physical sciences, an interface is the boundary between two spatial regions occupied by different matter, or by matter in different physical states. The interface between matter and air, or matter and vacuum, is called a surface, and stu ...
*
Electrokinetic phenomena
*
Surface science
Surface science is the study of physical and chemical phenomena that occur at the interface of two phases, including solid–liquid interfaces, solid– gas interfaces, solid– vacuum interfaces, and liquid– gas interfaces. It includes the ...
References
External links
Max Planck Institute of Colloids and InterfacesAmerican Chemical Society division of Colloid & Surface Chemistry
{{Branches of chemistry
Chemical mixtures
Colloidal chemistry
Condensed matter physics