Define the term peptization and mention its cause.
Peptization is the conversion of a precipitate into colloidal particles after the addition of an electrolyte. Peptizing agent refers to the electrolyte that is added. When the electrolyte is applied to a freshly precipitated substance, the precipitate particles preferentially absorb one kind of electrolyte ion and get scattered due to electrostatic repulsion. This determines the colloidal size of particles. Precipitates that have been freshly manufactured and are expected to be in the colloidal solution are preferable.
