Name: Emulsions
Uploaded: 2019-07-19
Duration: 7 min 39 s
Description: Emulsions are one of the important classes of colloids that have a liquid phase dispersed in another liquid medium. Let’s explore some of their interesting p...

Question

Explain briefly five important applications of colloids.

Accepted Answer

The important applications of colloids are:

Food articles: Milk, butter, ice creams, fruit juices, etc. are all colloids in one form or the other. Ice cream is a dispersion of ice in cream. Milk is an emulsion of fat in water protected by protein casein. The cooking of rice, potato, etc. involves the coagulation of starch particles. Fry of egg involves the coagulation of egg albumin by hot oil.

Curdling of milk: The sugar present in milk produces lactic acid on fermentation. Ions produced by the acid, destroy the charge on the colloidal particles present in milk which then coagulate and separate as curd. The same effect is also produced if any other acid is added to the milk.

Medicines: Most of the medicines we use are colloidal in nature because the medicines in the colloidal slate are more effective as these can be easily assimilated.

Sewage disposal: Dirt particles dispersed in water can be separated by catachresis because the particles carry a negative charge. The particles move towards one of the electrodes, lose their charge and get coagulated. The deposit so formed is then removed.

Fog and mist: When air containing dust particles is cooled below its dew point, the moisture from the air condenses on the surface of these particles forming fine droplets. These droplets being colloidal in nature continue to float in the air in the form of fog or mist.

Explain briefly five important applications of colloids.

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