Dispersion (chemical)

Description

A system in which fine particles are uniformly distributed throughout a bulk medium. Examples of dispersions are foam (gas in a liquid), fog (liquid in a gas) and latex paint (solid in a liquid). For some systems, a dispersant may be added to help maintain the separation of particles.

Sources Checked for Data in Record

• Richard S. Lewis, Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 10th ed., 1993

• A Glossary of Paper Conservation Terms, Margaret Ellis (ed.), Conservation Center of the Institute of Fine Arts, New York City, 1998

• Art and Architecture Thesaurus Online, http://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabulary/aat/, J. Paul Getty Trust, Los Angeles, 2000