20 Examples of Suspensions - encyclopedia

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Characteristics of a suspension
Examples of suspensions

In chemistry, a suspension It is a type of heterogeneous mixture formed by one or more substances in solid state that are dispersed in a substance in liquid or gaseous state. In a suspension, the solid (dispersed phase) is not diluted in the liquid medium (dispersing phase). For example: orange juice, since the pulp floats and is not integrated into the liquid medium, powdered medicines.

A suspension is a heterogeneous mixture because it is possible to distinguish the particles that make it up. They tend to be unstable mixtures, since due to their size the solid particles in a suspension tend to settle easily when the mixture is at rest.

It can serve you: Mixtures of solids with liquids

Characteristics of a suspension

They are easily recognizable mixtures because they are usually opaque.
Although most are made up of solid and liquid substances (mechanical suspensions), it can also be liquid + liquid and solid or liquid + gas. An example of a solid substance dispersed in a gas is the aerosol.
In different industries substances such as surfactants and thickeners are used to prevent the solids in the mixture from settling.
Many need to be mixed or shaken to return to their suspended state.
They differ from solutions because the solid particles are larger, and in solutions the solid does dissolve in the liquid, giving rise to a homogeneous mixture.
They differ from colloids in that the solid particles are finer (diameter between 10⁻⁹ and 10⁻⁵ nanometer).
The substances that compose it can be separated by physical methods such as filtration, centrifugation and decantation.