Emulsion stability: a case study involving anionic, cationic and nonionic emulsifiers

Abstract

This article uses theoretical strategies for the design of emulsions formulation. Emulsions are considered as thermodynamically unstable systems and all formulators aim to establish the right technical criteria for choosing the right components and reach kinetic stability. Since some decades ago, theories were developed and this knowledge has contributed for better results involving the stabilization of emulsion systems. For a better understanding of the chemistry supporting the emulsifier selection and its concentration behind a stable system proposition, this article presents a practical application involving three different emulsifiers (anionic, cationic and nonionic) at 1, 3 and 5% in weight. The comparison is based on particle size analyses of droplets of the prepared formulas. The results show the contribution of the chemical characteristics of the emulsifiers on the system stabilization and the importance of prior knowledge of the emulsions theories (presented in this article) to succeed in obtaining kinetically stable systems.

Keywords:
emulsion; stability; emulsion droplet size analysis