Gelation—A review

This paper reviews the modern ideas on the process of gelation which have arisen from the analogy between gelation and percolation. The basic features which are common to all types of gels, colloidal or polymeric systems are first recalled; then after a simplified presentation of the percolation model, a few examples illustrating these concepts are chosen (for chemical gelation, a copolymerisation reaction and for physical gelation, the gelatin sol-gel transition). In conclusion, electron micrographs of gel networks (gelatin gel and an inorganic gel of thorium phosphate) are shown, which reveal the great diversity and complexity of the structures.