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Friday, April 23, 2021

Difference between colloid and emulsion

The major difference between colloids and emulsion is that the colloid is a heterogeneous mixture that can form when any state of matter such as solid, liquid, or gas combines with a liquid, while the emulsion is also a heterogeneous mixture of two immiscible liquids in which the dispersed particles do not settle on standing.  

What is colloid and emulsion?

Colloid and emulsion both are often used synonymously, emulsions are formed when two immiscible liquids combine, while a colloid solution can be a liquid or solid dispersion in another liquid. In other words, an emulsion can be called a colloid however not all colloids are emulsions.

Colloids:

A colloid is a heterogeneous mixture in which a dispersed particle is intermediate in size between a solution and a suspension. The particles are uniformly distributed through the dispersion medium, which may be a solid, liquid, or gas. A colloid result when particle’s diameter is ranging in 1 to 1000 nanometer and are dispersed in a liquid solvent.
Colloids differ from solutions in that their dispersed particles are much larger than those of a solution. The dispersed particles of a colloid are not as large as those in a suspension, so the solute does not settle out on standing. The colloids can be separated from the solution because they exhibit light scattering.
Example of a colloid: “Milk” is a colloid solution in which fat particles are uniformly distributed in the water.  

Emulsion:

An emulsion is a type of colloid that refers to microscopic liquid particles dispersed in another liquid. An emulsion is a mixture of oil and water and can only be made by mixing with immiscible liquids and it can be stabilized by adding surfactant or emulsifier.
The emulsion consists of two categories, oil-in-water (O/W) or water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion, depending on the continuous phase. In oil in the water is in large quantity hence it continues phase, and in Water in oil the oil large quantity hence it continues phase and water is in small quantity hence it is discontinues phase.
Example of an emulsion: “milk” is one example of an emulsion of fat and water. Oil and water mixtures are emulsions when shaken together.

Difference between colloid and emulsion:

  • A colloid is a stable system of two phases, one of which is dispersed in the other in the form of very small particles or droplets, whereas emulsion is a stable suspension of small droplets of one liquid in another with which it is immiscible.
  • The colloid shows scatter light (Tyndall effect) while the emulsion can also show the Tyndall effect.
  • A colloid can form when any state of the substance combines with a liquid, while the emulsion consists of two liquid components that immiscible with each other.
  • A colloid is a homogeneous non-crystalline substance consisting of large, whereas an emulsion is a fine dispersion of minute droplets.
  • Colloids do not separate on standing while the emulsion does not settle on standing.
  • The particle size of colloids 1-1000 nm, while the particle size in the emulsion usually ranges from approximately 10 nm to 100 μm.
  • Colloids cannot be separated by filtration, while emulsion also cannot be filtered out.
  • Emulsion dosage forms are opaque in appearance, whereas colloids are translucent because of the Tyndall effect.
Commonly asked questions on colloid and emulsion are as follows.

What is the difference between a colloidal solution and an emulsion? Give one example of each.
The dispersed phase in a colloidal solution is solid, and the dispersion medium is liquid, while in an emulsion, both the dispersed phase and the dispersion medium are liquids.
Example of Colloidal solution- muddy water, cell fluids, etc.
Example of Emulsion- cold cream, milk.etc.

What is the difference between a colloidal solution, gel, and emulsion?
The basic difference between a colloidal solution, gel, and the emulsion is their dispersed phase and dispersed medium. The dispersed phase in the colloidal solution is solid, in the gel is liquid, and in the emulsion is liquid, whereas the dispersed medium in the colloidal solution is liquid, in the gel is solid, and in the emulsion is liquid.


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