Summary of development of the theory of stability of colloids and thin films

In this review, the research of the author in the field of colloidal systems is summarized. The factors influencing colloidal stability are systematized and analyzed. Examples are presented to illustrate the practical utilization of the theory of stability of colloids and thin films.This review was prepared on the basis of the works of the author, which were awarded the State Premium for 1991 in the field of science and technology, chemistry section.Institute of Physical Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117915 Moscow. Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 8, pp. 1708–1717, August, 1992.