Main Difference
The main difference between Colloidal Precipitate and Crystalline Precipitate is that Colloidal Precipitate is difficult to obtain through filtering and does not form easily, whereas Crystalline Precipitate is easily obtained through filtering and is easily formed.
Colloidal Precipitate vs. Crystalline Precipitate
The colloidal precipitate is generally the solid masses produced in the colloidal suspensions; on the other hand, crystalline precipitate is the solid masses produced in the crystalline suspensions. In colloidal precipitate, the diameters of particles in colloidal suspensions is ranging from 10-7 to 10-4 cm, so that’s why a precipitate is not formed easily; on the contrary, in the crystalline precipitate, the diameter of particles in crystalline suspensions is about a tenth of a millimeter or sometimes greater, so a precipitate is formed easily.
The particles of colloidal precipitate do not settle down easily because the effect of gravity on colloidal precipitates is less; on the flip side, the particles of crystalline precipitate are settled down spontaneously because the effect of gravity on crystalline precipitates is considerably higher than colloidal precipitates.
The colloidal precipitate cannot be filtered easily, while the crystalline precipitate can be filtered easily. The colloidal precipitate is not considered suitable for gravimetric analysis because the size of particles is bigger, so it cannot be filtered readily; on the other hand, the crystalline precipitate is suitable for gravimetric analysis and the particles can be filtered readily.
As the particles of the colloidal precipitate is suspended in the solution for a quite long time because it has no tendency to filtrate and settle down and form a precipitate, so they made stick together through coagulation or agglomeration method. The crystalline precipitate does not suspend in the solution for a quite long time, and it has the tendency to readily filtered and settle down, so no special treatments are required in crystalline precipitates.
Comparison Chart
| Colloidal Precipitate | Crystalline Precipitate |
| The precipitate that contains the smaller size of particles and cannot be easily separated from the surrounding is colloidal precipitates | The precipitate having a larger size of particles, so can more easily be separated from the surrounding, is the crystalline precipitate |
| Occurrence | |
| The solid masses produced in the colloidal suspensions | The solid masses produced in the crystalline suspensions |
| Particle Size | |
| The diameter of particles in colloidal suspensions is ranging from 10-7 to 10-4 cm, so a precipitate is not formed easily | The diameter of particles in crystalline suspensions is about a tenth of a millimeter or sometimes greater, so a precipitate is formed easily |
| Effect of Gravity | |
| The particles do not settle down easily because the effect of gravity on colloidal precipitates is less | The particles settle down spontaneously because the effect of gravity on crystalline precipitates is considerably higher than colloidal precipitates |
| Filtration | |
| Cannot be filtered easily | Can be filtered easily |
| Suitability for Gravimetric Analysis | |
| Not considered suitable for gravimetric analysis because the size of particles is bigger, so they cannot be filtered readily | Suitable for gravimetric analysis and the particles can be filtered readily |
| The Requirement of Pre-Treatment to Get Filterable Mass | |
| As the particles are suspended in the solution for a quite long time because they do not tend to filtrate and settle down and form a precipitate, so they made stick together through coagulation or agglomeration method | Do not suspend in the solution for a quite long time and they tend to filter and settle down, so no special treatments are required in crystalline precipitates |
What is Colloidal Precipitate?
The precipitate which has solid masses and forms only in colloidal suspensions is colloidal. A colloidal suspension is produced from the particles containing diameters ranging from 10-7 to 10-4 cm, so these colloidal particles can easily be seen from the naked human eye.
The colloidal particles do not incline to settle down at the bottom of the flask, because the influence of gravity on these particles is very little. As the particles of colloidal precipitate are very small, so it is considered difficult to obtain them through filtering, but when adding a suitable coagulant agent, large particles or a larger size precipitates will form, which are then easy to filter.
The colloidal suspensions of colloidal precipitates many times look like clear solutions because of the scattering of perceptible radiations. The reason why colloidal precipitates do not settle down spontaneously is because of Brownian motion, which is the random movement of particles in fluid because of their collisions with other atoms or molecules.
The coagulation or precipitation occurring process of colloidal particles can be enhanced by the stirring, heating, and by adding an electrolyte to the suspension. By using a method of adsorption of ions, the colloidal particles can easily be precipitated, having electrical charges on their surface.
What is Crystalline Precipitate?
The precipitate having solid masses and produced only in a crystalline suspension is crystalline precipitate. The crystalline suspension is made up of particles containing a diameter of about a tenth of a millimeter or many times greater. The crystalline particles can easily be filtered because the effect of gravity is higher on these particles.
The particles of crystalline suspensions are easily purified because they tend to settle down spontaneously. The size of the particles of the precipitate is influenced by the temperature, precipitate solubility, reactant concentration, and the speed at which reactants are mixed.
The net effect of influenced particles on crystalline particles is called relative supersaturation, which is given as relative supersaturation = (Q-S)/S, where Q is known as the concentration of the solute, and S is known as the equilibrium solubility. By minimizing the Q, or maximizing the S, or from both methods, the size of the particle of crystalline precipitates can be improved.
Key Differences
Conclusion
The above discussion concludes that the colloidal precipitate contains a smaller size, so they are difficult to obtain through filtering and do not form easily, while the crystalline precipitate contains the larger size, so they can easily be obtained through filtering and can easily be formed.
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