Basic Volume

Surface Active Agent

Properties of Emulsifier

• Type, HLB
• Micelle, Solubilization

Functions of Emulsifier

• Emulsification Dispersion
• Foaming Defoaming
• Wetting Bacteriostatic effects
• Action on starch, protein,
• oil and fats

Application Volume

Kind of Emulsifiers

When an emulsifier is added to a mixture of water and oil, the emulsifier is arranged on the interface, anchoring its hydrophilic part into water and its lipophilic part into oil.

On the interface surface of water and air and of oil and air, the hydrophilic part and the lipophilic part are adsorbed and arranged around the interface. The interfacial tension is reduced by the emulsifier.
That is, the force to separate the oil and water is thus weakened, resulting in the easily mixing of oil and water.

The hydrophilicity and lipophilicity are different among emulsifiers, and the balance between the two is called HLB value. The value ranges from 0 to 20.
An emulsifier with higher lipophilicity shows a lower HLB whereas higher hydrophilicity has high HLB, and the behaviors and functions to water depend on this HLB.

All compounds that have hydrophilic parts and lipophilic parts are not always useable as an emulsifier. when hydrophilicity is too great, such compounds disperse into water and the ones with great lipophilicity would disperse into oil.

When the hydrophilicity and lipophilicity are well-balanced, the emulsifier exhibits sufficient effects.