The stability of particle dispersion will depend upon the balance of the repulsive and attractive forces that exist between particles as they approach one another. If all the particles have a mutual repulsion then the dispersion will remain stable. However, if the particles have little or no repulsive force then some instability mechanism will eventually take place e.g. flocculation, aggregation etc.
The zeta potential of a particle is the overall charge that the particle acquires in a particular medium and can be measured on a Zetasizer instrument. The magnitude of the measured zeta potential is an indication of the repulsive force that is present and can be used to predict the long-term stability of the product. If all the particles in suspension have a large negative or positive zeta potential then they will tend to repel each other and there is no tendency for the particles to come together. However, if the particles have low zeta potential values then there is no force to prevent the particles coming together and flocculating. The effect of the pH, concentration of an additive or the ionic strength of the medium on the zeta potential can give information in formulating the product to maximise stability.
In addition, the particle size of the suspension can also be measured in a Zetasizer instrument. This provides information on the state of the dispersion and can be used in association with the zeta potential measurements to formulate the product to prevent flocculation and improve long term stability.