Oil in Water Emulsion

In the area of physical chemistry, the phenomenon of an emulsion can be described as when there is a mixture having either two or greater than two liquids wherein one liquid can be found in the form of droplets of the size of microscopic or ultramicroscopic distributed all through the other. The formation of an emulsion can be through the component liquids either suddenly or commonly through mechanical means. For example, agitation however should be noted that the mixture of liquids is having no or extremely minimal solubility at a mutual level. Emulsions can get stabilized through the agents which take part in the formation of films at the droplet’s surface, for example, molecules of soap. It should be noted that emulsions that are unstable in the end get separated into two separate layers of liquid. There can be destruction of stable emulsions by inaction or destruction of the agent of emulsification. For example, through the means of the addition of some third substance or through the means of heating or freezing. 

If we specifically focus on the oil in water emulsion it can be said that it comprises oil that is dispersed in a continuous water phase. Oil in water emulsion can be useful for products related to moisturising as well as certain products related to food such as milk and mayonnaise.  Thus, with this one can get a basic idea about the concept of emulsion.

As we move forward, we shall focus on the topic in detail and discuss areas such as the concept of emulsification, examples of emulsions and other significant areas. 

Emulsification

The concept of emulsification can be explained as the procedure which involves the dispersion of a particular liquid in another immiscible liquid through the means of application of hydrophobic, electrostatic, or hydrogen bond interactions amongst the encapsulating material and the compounds which are bioactive. Thus, it can be inferred that emulsification is the process of forcing liquids that are immiscible to amalgamate in a suspension. 

To understand the examples of emulsions, we can focus on milk which can be described as an aqueous solution along with the dispersion of droplets of fat. Another example can be that of butter which can be described as the aqueous solutions’ droplet’s dispersion in fat. Other emulsions which can be naturally occurring include cream and buttermilk. Lastly, the example of egg yolks containing fat that gets suspended in water can be an example of both an effective emulsifier as well as an emulsion. This can be because of their lactin’s rich content along with more proteins that are emulsifying. 

Emulsions can play a significant role in diverse areas such as industries related to tanning and dyeing, the area pertaining to the manufacturing of plastics and synthetic rubber, for preparing cosmetic products for example shampoos, as well as therapeutic products and salves. Thus, this helps in understanding the various examples as well as uses of emulsion. 

Conclusion 

As observed from the above sections, the concept of emulsion and the process of emulsification can be clearly understood. The various examples of emulsions are also mentioned in a comprehensive manner. It can be said that in physical chemistry, one can understand emulsion as a mixture of either two or more two liquids wherein one is there in the droplets form in the size of ultramicroscopic or microscopic and is distributed all through the other one. Lastly, it can be concluded that the process of emulsification and the various examples for the same are mentioned above for a better understanding of the learners.