Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 18, 2026

Confocal Imaging of Confined Quiescent and Flowing Colloid-polymer Mixtures
Published on: May 21, 2014
Ion-specific effect on the gelation kinetics of concentrated colloidal silica suspensions
1Laboratoire de Génie Chimique, UMR 5503, Université Paul Sabatier, 118, route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse, Cedex, France. jeanluc.trompette@ensiacet.fr
Abstract:
The comparative gelation kinetics of concentrated colloidal silica suspensions at pH 9.8 has been studied in the presence of two different counterions, ammonium as a representative structure-breaker ion and sodium as a representative structure-maker ion. For the same ionic strength of 0.45 M, the experimental results have indicated a pronounced effect of the ion-specificity on the aggregation kinetics and on the microstructure of the gelified networks at the sol-gel transition. This was ascribed to the significant difference of the critical coagulation concentration value in the presence of the two electrolytes.
Related Concept Videos
Colloids
Silica Gel Column Chromatography: Overview
Polar components tend to bind strongly to the silica gel, causing them to move slowly through the column. In contrast, nonpolar compounds...
Colloids and Suspensions
Colloidal precipitates
Coagulation
The Colloidal State

