An
interphase between phases containing free charged components which are usually accumulated or
depleted in the
surface region thus giving rise to net charges on the phase. This definition includes the special
case when the net charge on each of the phases reduces to zero. Charged components
may or may not cross the
interface between two phases, so that interphases may be divided into the limiting types unpolarizable
and polarizable, respectively.
Ideally unpolarizable interphases are those for which the exchange of common charged particles between the phases proceeds
unhindered.
Ideally polarizable interphases are those for which there are no common components between the phases or the exchange
of these is hindered. This condition may arise as a result of the equilibrium conditions
or from the kinetics of charge transfer and leads to an
interphase which is impermeable to
electric charge.
Real interphases may approach more or less well one of these idealized cases. Polarisibility or non-polarisibility
is not an absolute property of an
interphase but depends on a number of conditions, e.g. time scale of the experiment.
Source:
PAC, 1986, 58, 439