An overview of surface forces and the DLVO theory

Abstract This lecture text focuses on surface forces and interactions in a liquid medium, with particular emphasis on the surface-surface interactions described by the DLVO theory, i.e., van der Waals attraction and electric double-layer repulsion. The text begins by describing the fundamental forces of nature, their connection to intermolecular interactions, and how the latter result in measurable forces between surfaces and macroscopical objects. A step-by-step reasoning on how DLVO forces ari