<P> Particle sedimentation (and also floating, although this phenomenon is less common) arises from a difference in the density of the dispersed and of the continuous phase . The higher the difference in densities, the faster the particle settling . </P> <Ul> <Li> The gel network stabilization represents the principal way to produce colloids stable to both aggregation and sedimentation . </Li> </Ul> <Li> The gel network stabilization represents the principal way to produce colloids stable to both aggregation and sedimentation . </Li> <P> The method consists in adding to the colloidal suspension a polymer able to form a gel network and characterized by shear thinning properties . Examples of such substances are xanthan and guar gum . </P>

By what mechanism does thermal energy alter the state of matter of a substance