What is a colloid in mineralogy ?
Colloid : definition
This term designates very small particles of matter (a few micrometers) of various substances, remaining in suspension in a liquid due to its surface tension or its viscosity. A variation in the chemical or physical conditions of the environment causes the agglomeration of particles (one speaks of flocculation) and their deposition. Iron oxides, for example, are often transported as colloids. We speak of collomorphic texture when these colloids crystallize generating textures with a striped-like appearance.