Colloids and Colloidal Processes

The Colloidal state is one of fne subdivision, the size range being
approximately 10 sampai 10 mm.
Colloidal solution gade into true solutions on the one hand and into
suspensions on the other without any distinet line of demarcation.The
degree of dispersion is usually greater than the resolving power of an
ordinary microscope but is less than molecularthat is colloidal particles
are generally multimolecular. The colloid particles of the disperse
phase are separated by the dispersion mediumthe whole may be
referred to as a disperse system.There are a number of di!erent types
of disperse or colloidal system "solid#gas$smo%es&,li'uid#
gas$fogs&,li'uid#li'uid$emulsions&(,but the important type in
sedimentary processes is a solid#li'uid system $sols,gels,and pastes& in
which the li'uid is water. )ols are systems that resemble li'uids in their
physical propertiesthus they *ow readily and do not show rigidity. gels,
on the other hand, show some rididity. +astes are systems in which,
although the solid part is in the form of discrete particles, the
concentration of these particles has been so much increased that they
form the bul% of the system, for example, plastic clay.
)ols in water are divided into two types, hydrophilic and
hydrophobic. ,n the frst type there is strong interaction between the
particles and the water molecules, which serves to stabilize the
colloidal solution. ,n the second type there is no such attraction
between the particles and the water molecules, and they are thus
much less stable than hydrophilic sols and more easily precipitated.
,n general the particles in hydrophobic sols are larger than those in
hydrophilic sols. -urther, whwn a hydrophobic sol has been precipitated
by some physical change it cannot be readily reconverted into a sol by
reversing this change, where as a hydrophilic sol is generally reversible
in this respect. .o sharp boundary exists between these two types of
sols, but the division is useful. )ilica is an example of a substance that
forms a hydrophilic solaluminum hydroxide, on the other hand, forms
a hydrophobic sol.
Colloidal particles are electrically charged. This charge may
originate in two ways / either by adsorption of ions from the li'uid or
by the direct ionization of the material of the particle. )ome colloids,
for example, ferric hydroxide, may ac'uire either positive or negative
charges according to the evironment in which they are formed. the
charges on some important colloids are as follows/
+ossitive
0lluminium 1ydroxyde
-erric 1ydroxide
Chromic hidroxide
Titanium hydroxide hydrate
Thorium dioxide hydrate
2irconium dioxide hydrate
.egative
)ilica
-erric 1ydroxide
3anadium pentoxide hydrate
4anganese dioxide hydrate
1umus colloids
)ulfde sols
0n important propety of colloidal particles is their ability to bind
and concentrate certain substances through adsorption.Two types of
adsorption are recognized / $a& physical or van der 5aals6 adsorption,
and $b& chemical adsorption. 7oth types may act together, and all
gradations between extremes exist. +hysical adsorption is
characterized by low heats of adsorption and by a loose bonding of the
sdsorbate to the adsorbent. Chemical adsorbtion, or chemisorption, on
the other hand, is characterized by high heats of adsorption and a frm
chemical boding $i.e., by valence bonds&of the adsorbte.,t may envolve
the bonding of a foreign cation or a foreign anion, or both, to open
bods at the surfce of the adsorbentor it may be the exchange or
substitution of a foreign cation or anion, or both, for a cation or anion
at the surface. The property of base exchange , shown particularly by
clays where by cations in the clay may be exchangeed for other
cations present in a'ueous solutions in contact with te clay minerals,
may be considered as a particular type of adsorption. )ome principles
governing adsorption may be stated as follows /
1. The amount of adsorption increases as the grain size of the
adsorbent decreases, and hence its surface area increases.
8. 0dsorption is favored if the adsorbate forms a campound f low
slubility with the adsorbent.
9. The amount of a substance adsorbed from solution increases with its
concentration in that solution.
:. 1ighly charged ions are adsorbed more readily than lower charged
ions.
+;<=>CT) <- )?=,4?.T0T,<.
0 cursory examination of sedimentary processes suggests that they
would tend to produce an average mixture of the individual
components present in the parent material and thus wor% against any
chemical di!erentation. This, however, is not the case weathering,
erosion, and sedimentation lead generally to a mar%ed separation of
the ma@or elements. 0s goldschmidt pointed out the cycle of matter at
the earth6s surface can be li%ened to a chemical analysis at that. The
chemical di!e9rentation that results is remar%able. The steps in this
geochemical separation processes are as follows /
1. 4inerals that are especially resistant to chemical and mechanical
bea%down collect as granular material. <f these, the commonest is
'uartz, and the product is a 'uartz sand or sandstone showing a
mar%ed enrichment in silicon with respect to the parent material.
8. 0ccumulation of the products of chemical brea%down of
aluminosilicates, giving a mud consisting essentially of the clay
minerals.
9. 0llong with the formation of argillaceous sediments, but often
separated in space and time, iron is precipitated as ferric hdroxide. ,n
this processes oxidation from the ferrous to the ferric state precedes
precipitation by hydrolysis.
:. Calcium is precipitated as calcium carbonate either by purely
inorganic processes or by the action of organism. Aimestones are
formed and calcium thereby concentrated.
B. The bases that remain in solution cellect in the ocean, from which
they are removed in 'uantity only by evaporation, giving rise to salt
deposits. The most important of these bases is of course sodium, but
lesser amounts of potassium and magnesium also accumulate in sea
water.
The chemical brea%down of a roc% by weathering an be represented by
the following scheme /
This scheme indicates the course followed by the ma@or elements
during sedimentation and gives a useful geochemical classifcation of
sediments into resistates, hydrolisates, oxidates, carbonates, and
evaporates.
T<T0A 04<>.T <- )?=,4?.T0T,<.
The total amount of sedimentation during geological times is clearly a
fgure of great importance for 'uantitative geochemistry, and a
number of attempts have a been made to calculate it. )uch calculation
are generally based on data regarding the ammount and composition
of ocean water and the average composition of igneous and
sedimentary roc%s. ,f we can assume that the total sodium content of
sea water is derived from the weathering and erosion of igneous
roc%s, this 'uantity will be proportional to the total amount of
sediments. Clar%e used the following data /
)odium Content of the ocean 1,1:C
0verage sodium centent of igneous roc%s 8,D9C
Composition of the 10#mile crust E9Clit@osphere,FChydrosphere
-rom these fgure the ratio between oceanic sodium and roc% sodium is about 1/90.
1ence the sodium in the ocean is e'uivalent to that contained in 1G90 of all the
igneous roc%s of the earth6s crust to a depth of 10 miles. This fraction amounts to
BD,:x10 cubic miles.