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Q.Peptising agent is added to convert precipitate into colloidal solution. Explain this statement with an example.

Tamil Nadu DgeTamil Nadu HSC (DGE) Board 2025Subjective· 2mImportance★★★★★
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Peptisation converts a bulk precipitate into a stable colloidal dispersion by adding an electrolyte whose ion is preferentially adsorbed on the precipitate's surface, imparting a common electric charge that causes the particles to repel each other and break apart into colloidal-sized fragments instead of aggregating.

When a precipitate is freshly formed, its particles tend to aggregate and settle out. A peptising agent — usually a small quantity of a suitable electrolyte — is added, and one of its ions gets preferentially adsorbed onto the surface of the precipitate particles. This adsorption imparts a common electric charge to all the particles; the resulting electrostatic repulsion between similarly-charged particles overcomes the tendency to aggregate, breaking the bulk precipitate down into colloidal-sized particles that stay dispersed (peptised) in the medium as a stable sol. This process is called peptisation.

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