Colloidal Silver | Silver Colloids

PCS8A

Colloidal Stability

DVLO Theory

  • It says that the stability of a colloidal system is determined by the sum of the electrical double layer repulsive and van de Waals attractive forces which the particles experience as they approach one another
  • The theory proposes that an energy barrier resulting from the repulsive force prevents two particles approaching one another and adhering together
  • But if the particles collide with sufficient energy to overcome that barrier, the attractive force will pull them into contact where they adhere strongly and irreversibly together. 

Return to “Definition of Terms”