Applications of Emulsions

The concept of an emulsion can be described as the one wherein two liquids that generally do not mix together, for example, water and oil get mixed with each other in the absence of dissolving them with each in a similar solution. Thus, with this one can gain a basic idea regarding the process of emulsion. As we move forward, we shall focus on significant topics such as the cleansing action of soap, detergents and soaps concerning the process of emulsification and other related concepts. 

Cleansing action of soap

The application of emulsions can be found in a lot of day-to-day life-related areas. Some examples to understand the same can be in medicine when emulsion of water-in-oil may take place, milk and the cleansing action of soap. Here we shall study in-depth the cleansing action of soap. 

Soaps and detergents are commonly used items for the purpose of removal of dirt. To understand this cleansing action that takes place we need to get an idea about the dirt that is being removed. This dirt can be insoluble in water as well as oily in characteristics. The cleansing of this dirt by soap takes place through the formation of micelles. A micelle can be described as a cluster of molecules wherein one may say that the arrangement of molecules is such that it is a spherical shape with the hydrophilic end having its face outwards and the hydrophobic end having its face inwards. The molecules of soap form this micelle. As one dissolves the soap inside water, the hydrophilic end gets attracted towards the water and begins facing outward whereas the hydrophobic tail can experience repulsion from water and therefore face inwardly. Further, the molecules begin to aggregate around the dirt such that the hydrophilic head is facing outward whereas the hydrophobic tail faces the molecule of dirt and leads to the formation of micelle. These micelles help in cleaning the dirt. At this point, it can be said that the dirt gets stuck inside the micelle. The micelles then form for making a colloidal solution with water. Thus, as one washes a cloth or some surface along with water and soap the end which is hydrophilic in nature gets involved with water whereas the molecule of dirt that is stuck inside the micelle can be washed away using water. Thus, with this one can gain an idea about the cleansing action of soaps. 

It can be said that the cleansing of action for both detergents and soaps is found because of their ability to lower the water’s surface tension to emulsify the grease or oil and hold them in a suspension within the water. 

Conclusion

As observed from the above sections, various topics have been covered which help in understanding the cleansing action of soaps, detergents and other related concepts. The concepts such as micelle formation, and what is dirt are also briefly described above for a better understanding of the learner. It can be concluded that the above sections cover various topics such as the cleansing action of soaps, detergents and soaps and the applications of emulsions in day-to-day life.