Abstract
After a brief description of the development of ideas concerning the nature of the stability of colloids, the main factors (ionic-electrostatic and molecular forces) whose balance determines the resistance of colloids to aggregation, are examined. An account is given of calculations of the free energy of charged particles in an electrolyte solution. The influence of the dense layer of adsorbed ions on the stability of colloids is discussed. The phase transitions in colloid systems, particularly coacervation and the formation of periodic colloid structures, are considered. The problem of thermodynamically stable colloid systems is analysed in connection with the properties of micellar solutions. A brief description is given of the problem of the stability of liquid layers and of the phenomenon of heterocoagulation.
The bibliography includes 281 references.