Presentation at
17th International Symposium on Surfactants in Solution on August 17-22, 2008 Berlin
Rapid emulsifier selection and evaluation of emulsion stability for reformulation
Selection of emulsifiers and evaluation of emulsion stability is a frequent task. This relates to practical issues like formulation of emulsions, optimization of preparation conditions, quality control, shelf life estimation and breaking of emulsions. Due to European legislation (REACH) many companies are facing the problem to replace proven components in their formulations (low volume speciality compounds or problematic chemicals). This also applies to emulsifiers and emulsion based products.
A multisample technique based on analytical centrifugation is presented which allows for an accelerated study of creaming, sedimentation and of separation of oil and water phases. Not only information on the extent of phase separation is provided but also the kinetics are measured directly in-situ. The latter is of great practical importance for estimation of shelf life and in relation to the engineering of separation processes.
The method was applied to check for alternatives to nonyl phenol based surfactants as emulsifiers for silicone oil emulsions. Due to the multisample approach one centrifugal run with 12 different samples was sufficient to identify more environmentally benign emulsifiers with identical or better performance. In a second run the efficiency of emulsifier combinations was tested. In addition to these investigations the applicability of the method for selection of the most efficient emulsification conditions was demonstrated.
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