Colloids are mixtures in which one or more compounds are distributed in a solid, liquid, or gaseous medium as relatively big solid particles or liquid droplets. A colloid’s particles remain scattered and do not stabilise due to gravity, and they are also charged electrically.
A colloid is used in manufacturing products such as lubricants, lotions, toothpaste, coatings, etc as thickening agents. Colloids are useful in processing paints and inks. The pigment used is a gel in ball-point pens. The same form of charge is carried by the ions of the colloidal solution, while the dispersion medium bears an equivalent and opposite charge. The voltage on the dispersion medium balances the charge on scattered particles, and electrically neutral is the solution as a whole.
