lyophobic, a. Physical Chem.
(laɪəˈfəʊbɪk)
[f. lyophobe a. + -ic.]
Of a dispersed colloidal phase: not having an affinity for the dispersion medium; readily precipitated out by small quantities of electrolyte. Also applied to sols containing such a phase, which generally have a similar surface tension and viscosity to those of the dispersion medium, and which on evaporation or cooling give solids which cannot readily be reconverted into sols.
| 1911 H. Freundlich in Chem. News 22 Sept. 140/1 Colloidal solutions stand between these two extremes. One class, distinguished from coarse suspensions only by the ultramicroscopic dimensions of their particles, are termed ‘Suspension-colloids’ or ‘Lyophobic Sols’. These include colloidal metals, sulphides, and many hydroxides. ‘Emulsion-colloids’, or ‘Lyophilic sols’, which include albumin, gelatin, starch, &c., approach more nearly to the true solutions. 1959 K. J. Musels Introd. Colloid Chem. viii. 181 If we consider a paraffinic solvent,..the alcohol group is now lyophobic and the hydrocarbons are lyophilic. 1968 Physics Bull. Nov. 377/1 The stability of lyophobic colloids, like a quartz suspension or gold sol, is due to the competition between electrostatic forces of repulsion..and the van der Waals attraction. |