Latex particles Lyophobic colloids

Similarly, charged solid particles (such as latex spheres) —kinetically stable lyophobic colloids —may exist in colloidal crystalline phases (with body-centered or face-centered cubic structures) as a consequence of thermodynamically favored reduction in free energies (see Chapter 13). Even neutrally charged spherical particles ( hard spheres ) undergo a phase transition from a liquidlike isotropic structure to face-centered cubic crystalline structures due to entropic reasons. In this sense, the stability or instability is of thermodynamic origin. 

The stability of latexes during and after polymerization may be assessed at least qualitatively by the theoretical relationships describing the stability of lyophobic colloids. The Verwey-Overbeek theory (2) combines the electrostatic forces of repulsion between colloidal particles with the London-van der Waals forces of attraction. The electrostatic forces of repulsion arise from the surface charge, e.g., from adsorbed emulsifier ions, surface sulfate endgroups introduced by persulfate initiator, or ionic groups introduced by using functional monomers. These electro-... 

FIG. 3 Energy-distance profiles for polystyrene latex particles bearing carboxylic acid surface groups (lyophobic colloid) suspended in different aqueous media (a) 0.15 mol/L NaCl at pH 3.0 (b) 0.00015 mol/L NaCl at pH 3.0, and (c) 0.00015 mol/L NaCl at pH 7.0. 

In this paper we review principles relevant to colloids in supercritical fluids colloids in liquids are discussed elsewhere [24]. Thermodynamically unstable emulsions and latexes in CO2 require some form of stabilization to maintain particle dispersion and prevent flocculation. Flocculation may be caused by interparticle van der Waals dispersion forces (Hamaker forces). In many of the applications mentioned above, flocculation of the dispersed phase is prevented via steric stabilization with surfactants, in many cases polymeric surfactants. When stabilized particles collide, polymers attached to the surface impart a repulsive force, due to the entropy lost when the polymer tails overlap. The solvent in the interface between the particles also affects the sign and range of the interaction force, and the effect of solvent is particularly important for highly compressible supercritical solvents. Since the dielectric constant of supercritical CO2 and alkanes is low, electrostatic stabilization is not feasible [24] and is not discussed here. For lyophobic emulsion and latex particles (-1 xm), the repulsive... 

Latexes constitute a subgroup of colloid systems known as lyophobic sol. Sometimes they are called polymer colloids. The stability of these colloids is determined by the balance between attractive and repulsive forces affecting two particles as they approach one another. Stability is conferred on these latexes by electrostatic forces, which arise because of the counterion clouds surrounding the particles. Other forces of an enthalpic or entropic nature arise when the lyophilic molecules on the surfaces of the latexes interact on close approach. These can be overcome by evaporation of the water, heating, freezing, or by chemically modifying the surfactant, such as by acidification. 

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