In this short message I will limit myself to presenting some initial provisions and the main conclusions of my work (see article). When considering the thermal state of a piece of solid matter (for example, a piece of gold), it is therefore necessary to take into account three surfaces: 1. An outer surface that separates a piece of solid matter from the surrounding space. 2. The inner surface of contact of the crystal grains that make up the piece. The total, internal dynamic (pulsating) surface of crystalline grains.
It has long been noticed, during certain physical and chemical processes with substances containing sulfur, the appearance of violet, indigo-blue, blue and green colors, sometimes remarkable in their beauty. These color reactions are historically closely related to hypothetical modifications of elemental sulfur; black, translucent blue in thin layers, Magnus sulfur and Wehler blue sulfur. The presence of these modifications in ultramarine has been explained by a number of scientists for its varied colors.
Working in 1902 with concentrated solutions of Mn(CNS)3 and Ba(CNS)2, and in 1905-1906 with a number of concentrated solutions of especially highly soluble salts in order to obtain jellies of crystalline substances, I noticed that under the influence of these salts, the filters swell and slime so much that they slip through the narrow tube of the funnel in the form of a more or less gelatinous lump. According to my theory of peptization (1907-1908), fiber is peptized because at a certain high concentration of salt and at a certain high temperature it should be converted into some truly soluble compound. This theory above (see article) can be generalized to any dispersoid that hydrolyzes in a soluble compound.
The article examines the vectoriality of molecular forces of attraction and clarifies the issue of changing the nature and degree of orientation of molecules. The author draws conclusions: 1. Matter is vectorial in all its states of aggregation. 2. By increasing the degree of dispersion of any solid crystalline substance, you can change the degree of its overall orientation; moreover, at extremely high degrees of dispersion, the resulting crystalline systems are practically indistinguishable from liquids in terms of orientation. Further, the work highlights: the gaseous-liquid crystalline state of matter and its universality; taxonomy and nomenclature of various types of vectorial state of matter; the basic law of dispersoidology and its application.
Scientific research carried out jointly by several individuals always gives rise to rumors about the degree of participation of individual researchers in the overall work, and often these rumors take on a very unpleasant character. To avoid the latter, I consider it necessary to note that in works published jointly on behalf of myself and my students, both the topic and the plan for its development belong to me. Preparatory work, such as preparing solutions, determining and calculating their concentration, analysis, etc., is carried out entirely by my employees.
In this study, the preparation conditions and some properties of the following disperse systems were studied: No.1. Dispersed systems with a liquid dispersed phase xH2O + yHCl. No.2. Dispersed systems with a solid dispersed phase of CuCl2 composition. No.3. Dispersed system with a solid dispersed phase of composition xH2O + yHCl * H2O. No.4. Dispersed systems with solid dispersed phase CuCl2 * 2N20. No.5. Dispersed systems with solid dispersed phase CuC12. 2H20 and a complex liquid dispersed phase of the composition (see article). No.6. Dispersed systems with a liquid dispersed phase of the composition (see article). No.7. Dispersed systems with a solid dispersed phase of composition (xH2O + y.cupric oleate). No.8. Dispersed systems with a solid dispersed phase of the composition (see article).
The article discusses the issues of obtaining a dispersoid solution of low concentration, significant concentration for any substance, as well as the problem of crystallization of colloids; obtaining crystalline substances in a colloidal state; dynamic processes within a dispersion medium as stability factors, stability theorems for dispersoid solutions; dynamic and static chemical compounds, etc.
One of the main provisions of dispersoid chemistry is the statement that all properties, both physical and chemical, are functions of the degree of dispersion of a given disperse system. The author considers the following issues: 1) The effect of increasing the degree of dispersion on the electrical conductivity of chemically pure metals; 2) The influence of the degree of dispersion on the electrical conductivity of alloys representing a mechanical comparison of the crystals of the components; 3) On the electrical conductivity of coarsely dispersed alloys representing solid solutions; 4) Alloys representing solid solutions and electronic theory; 5) Electrical conductivity of coarsely dispersed metals at very low temperatures; 6) Electric ultramicroscope.
In this article only dispersed systems will be considered: Liquid + Solid. Liquid + Liquid, moreover, in view of the identity of the characteristics of the three types into which classes a and b fall, I will limit myself to a more detailed analysis of the types of class a. Any dispersed system can be characterized by: 1. The magnitude and sign of the dispersing (or aggregating) force, 2. The degree of dispersion at a given moment, 3. The aggregate state of the dispersed phase. 4. The degree of contamination (adsorption) of the surface of the dispersed phase.
In this article I want to share with readers some of the results of my experiments on the gelation of solutions, which, although they were obtained back in 1908, were not published in sufficient detail. In my work on the gelation of solutions, I came to the following four conclusions (see . article and tables). In conclusion, I want to draw attention to the fact that during the so-called “salting out” of organic colloids, the hydration capacity of the added salt plays a certain role, because, at least at a sufficiently high concentration, there must be a struggle between the salt and colloid molecules for the possession of hydration water.
I want to point out the importance of knowledge of the basic principles of colloid chemistry for other branches of natural science. Knowledge of them is necessary for a physicist, because a deep understanding of the doctrine of states of aggregation is impossible without a clear assimilation of the properties of dispersed systems. For a crystallographer and a mineral chemist, these basic principles of the study of colloids are no less important, because, when obtaining highly dispersed systems by crystallization, we are present at the birth of a crystal and monitor all its embryonic forms. The study of colloidal chemistry is even more important for representatives of the biological sciences, since the true cradle of nascent life is a typical complex disperse system—plasma.
In my report on April 6, 1906, I wrote that the most important role in the process of melting dispersed systems is played by two factors: the degree of disruption of the continuity of the body and the associated change in the conditions of heat transfer, both before the melting process and during this process The degree of discontinuity affects, firstly, the latent heat of fusion, and secondly, together with the changed conditions of heat transfer, the softening of the solid system even before the start of melting. The surface layer of the crystal is chemically inhomogeneous, which affects the physical and physicochemical properties of the substance especially strongly at a high degree of dispersion.
Let us have a unit volume of a solution of body X in some solvent Y; add to the solution of another solvent Z, which dissolves solvent Y well, but practically does not dissolve body X, even if solvent Z is mixed a little with solvent Y. Then solvent Z will begin to pull solvent Y out of the solution and body X should precipitate in crystals.
Our experiments with alcohol solutions of Na Br, KC1 and NaCl gave exactly the same results as for sulfur and phosphorus. To avoid the absorption of water by alcohol, experiments must be carried out in these cases in hermetically sealed test tubes, inside of which, above the surface of the alcohol, hangs a cup (of a special device) with phosphorus anhydride. Such a device is essential, because the solubility of the mentioned salts increases (for S and P, on the contrary, it decreases) from the absorption of water by alcohol, and the increase in solubility during the experiment greatly affects the course of condensation and dispersion processes when heating solid suspension solutions.
The author describes in detail the gaseous and dissolved states; the osmotic pressure of colloidal solutions, as well as the differences between suspensoid (colloidal) and suspended (true) solutions. Highly dispersed colloidal solutions have quite measurable osmotic pressure, and this pressure cannot be less than gas pressure under the same conditions.
When a thin stream of molten sulfur superheated above 400° is poured into liquid air, sulfur is obtained in the form of very thin threads, 0.5-1 mm in diameter. The threads taken out of liquid air are at first quite hard and brittle, but then, as soon as the temperature rises somewhat, they acquire extraordinary elasticity, similar to the elasticity of rubber. The easier it is to obtain a body in a gelatinous or glassy form, the more capable it is of giving various modifications. Sulfur is the most typical example of such bodies.
In my previous works, I gave a formula for obtaining sodium chlorate in a colloidal state. At room temperature, as is known, one cannot expect the formation of any significant quantities of esters, so the mechanism of the above reaction is very simple. In view of the decrease in the solubility of NaCl with decreasing temperature, it is very useful, especially for obtaining stable NaCl salts, to carry out reactions at low temperatures (see message).
As I have previously proven, when mixing sufficiently concentrated reacting solutions, any body that is slightly soluble in the selected dispersion medium is obtained in the form of a coarse jelly. The general situation is as follows: by changing the rate of condensation of molecules W, any body, regardless of its chemical and physical properties (such as chemical composition, solubility, etc.) can be obtained in crystals of any degree of dispersion, both very large and negligible.
I now repeated the experiments described in my message “Colloidal Ice” again, now with liquid air, highly enriched with oxygen (boiling point about -185°) and with the same success. See the note: 1. About the solidification of water when mixed with liquid air. 2. On the production of dispersed systems such as: Ice - liquid air.
I tried to implement the conditions of dispersoid condensation to obtain colloidal ice; my efforts were successfull. See the note: 1. Solid suspension solutions of ice. 2. Liquid suspension solutions of ice. The example given in the message of obtaining ice in a colloidal state can most clearly confirm my position on the generality of the colloidal state (1906) and my opinion that this state is the result of the corresponding directions of the condensation process.
In my previous studies, published in 1905-1908 in Russian and German, I showed that any body, both simple and complex chemical composition, can be obtained: in good clear crystals; in an “irreversible” colloidal state (in the form of sols and “irreversible” colloidal-amorphous sediments); in a “reversible” colloidal state (by rapid cooling and increasing association of dissolved particles into the solution).
In my numerous reports and articles published in Russian and German from 1905 to 1908, I experimentally proved that the type and structure of sediment of any body can be changed at the will of the researcher.
This work, although it represents only one of the most important links in my extensive work on the states of matter, which I publish, for certain reasons, in German, is a completely accomplished independent whole. This work treats the question of the influence of the concentration of reacting solutions on the appearance and structure of sediments - a question that has not yet been completely developed in science, except for a few fragmentary observations.