How do Emulsifiers Work

An emulsion is the colloidal dispersion of two immiscible liquids where one liquid acts as the medium of dispersion and the other as a dispersed phase. In simpler terms, it is a special type of mixture prepared by combining two liquids that don’t usually mix. 

The word emulsion derives from the Latin term “emulgere”, which means to milk (milk is an example of an emulsion of water and fat). Emulsification is the procedure to convert a liquid mixture into an emulsion.  

Emulsion Examples 

• A mixture of water and oil forms an emulsion when shaken together
• Butter is an emulsion of water and fat.
• Mayonnaise is an emulsion of oil in water stabilised with the help of lecithin in egg yolk. 
• The cream on top of an Espresso.

How do Emulsifiers Work?

Depending on their nature, emulsifiers can be water in oil (w/o) or oil in water (o/w). 

An example of oil in water emulsion is milk, wherein cream or fat forms tiny droplets within the milk’s skim. On the other hand, margarine is a water in oil type emulsion where milk water droplets are in a blend of fat and vegetable oils. 

In either of the cases, emulsions are necessary to prevent the suspended particles from coalescing. 

The latter occurs when similar particles combine to form bulkier particles, leading to the segregation of the dispersed medium and dispersed phase. It creates a film over one phase in the mixture to form globules that repel each other, thus allowing them to spread evenly.  

Emulsifiers form physical barriers that keep droplets from coalescing; they consist of hydrophilic and hydrophobic ends. Hence, emulsifiers are attracted to polar and nonpolar compounds.

Properties of Emulsions

The following are the properties of emulsions.

• In an emulsion, there is a dispersion medium and dispersed phase.
• They show a cloudy appearance as the light gets scattered between the many phase interfaces when passed through the emulsion.
• They exhibit the Tyndall effect. The dilute emulsions with low wavelength light get scattered more in fractions, appearing slightly blue.
• We can break down emulsions into constituent liquids using physical methods such as heating, freezing, and centrifuging.
• Since emulsions are liquid, they do not possess a static internal structure. 
• When dispersed in equal proportions, emulsifiers appear in white. 
• Two liquids can form different emulsions, like oil in water emulsion or water in oil emulsion, and even multiple emulsions like water in oil in water. 

Methods to Identify the Type of Emulsions

We can find out the type of an emulsion by the following tests:

• Dilution Test: 

In this test, we add water or oil to the emulsion. 

If we add water, and it gets mixed with the emulsion, the emulsion is of oil-in-water (o/w) type. If water does not mix with the emulsion, it is called the water-in-oil (w/o)type. 

Apart from water, if we add oil to the emulsion, and it gets mixed up, it is the water-in-oil type.

• Dye Solubility Test: 

We can conduct this test by adding a water-soluble dye to the emulsion. If the emulsion becomes red, it is an oil-in-water type and vice-versa.

• Conductivity Test: 

In this test, we add some amount of electrolyte to the emulsion to measure its conductance. 

Suppose it shows an increase in conductance. Then we can say that emulsion is of the oil-in-water type. On the other hand, if there is no change in conductance, the emulsion is water-in-oil type.

Applications of Emulsions

Let us look at the applications of emulsions.

• It has wide applications in the pharmaceutical industry to prepare lotions and creams that the body can absorb easily. Several ointments are emulsions of oil in water and water in oil type.
• Properties of emulsions are useful in washing clothes; it serves as the basis of the cleansing actions of soaps.
• When poured in water, commonly used disinfectants like phenyl work as oil in water type emulsion.
• The emulsification process also helps in the digestion process of the human body.
• Emulsions are also helpful in the manufacturing of polymer dispersions.
• Emulsifying agents are also commonly used for extinguishing fires.
• We can also use emulsions in the manufacturing of vaccines and the food industries.
• Emulsions like cutting fluid are a type of coolant used in metalworking.

Conclusion

We can infer that an emulsion is a mixture that consists of two liquids that don’t mix. The word emulsion has Latin origins, and they are of two types, simple and complex emulsions. We can further subdivide them into oil-in-water and water-in-oil types.

We can perform three types of tests to identify the type of emulsion, namely conductivity, dye solubility, and dilution test. Further, these emulsions come with broad applications such as the preparation of cosmetics, pharmaceutical products, fire retardant materials, and even human digestion.

We can easily identify an emulsion from its properties. These properties include the Tyndall effect, cloudy appearance, and white colour when dispersed in equal proportions.