Steric stabilization is resistance to particle aggregation supplied by attached or adsorbed molecular layers. Bringing two coated particles close compresses or overlaps the layers, increasing their free energy through conformational and osmotic effects. It differs from the depletion force of nonadsorbing dissolved chains.
Repulsion associated with overlap of surface-bound layers, often through chain confinement and osmotic free-energy costs. Layer thickness, solvent quality and grafting/adsorption state matter; it is not simply a bare hard-sphere collision.
Stabilization by a surface-bound polymer layer that supplies both conformational/osmotic repulsion and electrostatic repulsion. Chain coverage, solvent quality and screening determine the resulting interaction barrier.
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