Emulsion Size Distribution Research Articles

Estimating droplet size distribution of emulsions using turbidity measurements: A soft sensor based on artificial neural network

Ability to characterise droplet size distribution (DSD) of emulsions in real-time is essential for on-demand production of customised emulsions. In this work, for the first time, we demonstrate a possibility of estimating full DSD of oil in water emulsions from turbidity measurements using a single wavelength light source. We used recently published data of DSD and turbidity measurements of rapeseed oil in water emulsions (oil volume fractions of 0.15, 0.3 and 0.45) produced with vortex based hydrodynamic cavitation device. Measured DSDs are represented by weighted sum of three log-normal distributions. We developed an approach and a methodology based on artificial neural network (ANN) to estimate DSD from a single measurement of turbidity. A mathematical model is developed to simulate measured turbidity profiles using the known DSDs. The validated model was then used to generate simulated data of turbidity and oil volume fraction pairs (105 pairs). This synthetic data was used to train ANN which used turbidity and volume fraction as input and eight parameters of DSD as output. The developed ANN was able to capture the experimentally measured characteristic diameters and DSDs very well for three oil volume fractions and four different number of passes. The presented methodology and results will be useful for developing an in-line soft sensor based on turbidity measurements for real time estimation of full DSDs of emulsions.

Superhydrophilic and mixed-charge sponge: Revealing the mechanism of three-dimensional demulsification materials for oil-in-water emulsions under charge effect

In petroleum industries, the problem of difficult oil-water separation requires an urgent solution, superhydrophilic charged three-dimensional materials was verified effect for separating oil-in-water (o/w) emulsions, however, the mechanism was unclear. A superhydrophilic sponge SPP with various negative charge amounts and A-SPP with mixed-charge were modified by impregnation. Under gravity-driven filtration, the demulsification effect of SPP and A-SPP on the oil content, zeta potential, and size distribution of emulsion and their mechanism was explored. SPP treated the cationic surfactant stabilized o/w emulsion by electrostatic attraction, the more charged, the better effect, its separation efficiency reached 99.5%, reducing the emulsion zeta potential from 79.18 mV to 23.28 mV, but the droplet size fluctuated sharply illustrated the unstable effect, the single-charge was affected by surfactants. A-SPP realized demulsification by synergize of mixed-charge, treating anionic/cationic surfactant stabilized o/w emulsions with separation efficiency exceeded 99.9%, zeta potential of filtrate below ±15.75 mV, droplet size increased from 500 nm to 10 μm. A-SPP could treat o/w emulsions with different components and concentrations, had cycle stability (99% after 15 times), and tolerated abrasion and brine. A-SPP resembled a filter, the demulsification process of emulsified oil droplets was surface interception-electrostatic demulsification-contact coalescence-skeleton adhesion, the electrostatic, hydrophobic, capillary effects were the main roles. The superhydrophilic mixed-charge sponge can treat diverse emulsions with low energy consumption and high efficiency, revealing the mechanism of three-dimensional demulsification materials for o/w emulsions and creating potential for practical applications.

Pickering Emulsions and Viscoelastic Solutions Constructed by a Rosin-Based CO2-Responsive Surfactant.

Designing stimulus-switch viscoelastic solutions and Pickering emulsions with reversible CO2-responsive behavior remains a challenge. A rosin-based CO2-responsive surfactant, N-cetyl-maleimidepimaric acid N,N-dimethylenediamide (C16MPAN), was synthesized and used to prepare CO2-triggered viscoelastic solutions and Pickering emulsions. This surfactant exhibited excellent CO2-responsive performance in water and formed a viscoelastic solution. This viscoelastic system was investigated by dynamic light scattering (DLS), rheology, and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (Cory-TEM). The shear viscosity of the system increased by 3-4 orders of magnitude after bubbling with CO2 and a large number of elongated, flexible, tubular wormlike micelles were observed. Further, Pickering emulsions were prepared by C16MPAN+ synergistically with cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), whose stability and switchability were investigated via adsorption isotherm, droplet size, contact angle, and macroscopic photographs. C16MPAN+ was adsorbed with CNCs to form mechanical barriers at the oil-water interface, making the emulsion stable for at least three months, and desorption from CNCs enabled emulsion breaking. The cycle could be switched reversibly multiple times and the particle size distribution of emulsion was basically the same. This work enriches the application of biomass resources in intelligent responsive materials.

Investigation of microflow mechanisms and emulsion size distribution in porous media

Crude oil in underground porous media can be emulsified by surfactants, which can lead to improved oil recovery. However, there have been limited investigations revealing the interactions between emulsions and grains and comparing the influence of different factors on the distribution of emulsions in porous media at the pore scale. In this study, a solution containing surfactant was injected into an oil-saturated microchip with heterogeneous pore geometries. A series of tests were conducted by varying the injection rate, surfactant concentration, oil viscosity, and displacing phase viscosity. Qualitative analysis of flow mechanisms and quantitative analysis of the distribution of emulsions were performed through pore-scale snapshots. The results demonstrate that emulsions undergo deformation, breakup, and retention in porous media. Furthermore, new micro-interactions between emulsion droplets and grains are discovered, including the impact effect, cutting effect, and the synergy of both effects. A high flow rate of the displacing phase promotes the formation of more and smaller emulsions, while a low flow rate encourages flow diversion. An increase in oil viscosity and a decrease in surfactant concentration are not conducive to the formation of emulsions. However, an increase in the displacing phase viscosity promotes the formation of emulsions and flow diversion. The experiments provide detailed insights into the flow behaviors of emulsions at pore scale and offer valuable information for surfactant flooding.

The Stability, Rheological Properties and Interfacial Properties of Oil-in-Water (O/W) Emulsions Prepared from Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) Cold Plasma-Treated Chickpea Protein Isolate and Myofibrillar Protein Complexes.

In order to increase the development and utilization of chickpea protein isolate (CPI) and improve the stability of myofibrillar protein (MP) emulsions, the effect of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma-modified CPI on the emulsifying properties of MP was investigated. Three different O/W emulsions were prepared using MP, MP + CPI complex, or MP + DBD-treated CPI complex as the emulsifier. Compared with the emulsion prepared from MP, the emulsifying activity index and stability of DBD-treated CPI and MP complex (MP + CPIDBD) were increased (p < 0.05) from 55.17 m2/g to 74.99 m2/g and 66.31% to 99.87%, respectively. MP + CPIDBD produced more stable emulsions with the lowest Turbiscan stability index (TSI) values for a given 3600 s. At shear rates from 0 to 1000-1, MP + CPIDBD-stabilized emulsions had higher viscosities, which helped to reduce the chance of aggregation between oil droplets. The optical microscope and particle size distribution of emulsions showed that MP + CPIDBD emulsions had the lowest droplet size (d4,3) and exhibited more uniform distribution. MP + CPIDBD emulsions had lower interfacial tension. DBD pretreatment increased the adsorbed protein content in the emulsion stabilized by MP + CPIDBD as compared to the MP + CPI complex and promoted the adsorption of CPI by higher ratios of adsorbed proteins as indicated by its intensity in SDS-PAGE. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed that the emulsion prepared from MP + CPIDBD had smaller particle size and more uniform dispersion. Therefore, using DBD-modified CPI could enhance the stability of MP emulsions.

Emulsion Liquid Membrane for Pesticides Removal from Aqueous Solution: Emulsion Stability, Extraction Efficiency and Mass Transfer Studies

The current study investigated the stability and the extraction efficiency of emulsion liquid membrane (ELM) for Abamectin pesticide removal from aqueous solution. The stability was investigated in terms of droplet emulsion size distribution and emulsion breakage percent. The proposed ELM included a mixture of corn oil and kerosene (1:1) as a diluent, Span 80 (sorbitan monooleate) as a surfactant and hydrochloric acid (HCl) as a stripping agent without utilizing a carrier agent. Parameters such as homogenizer speed, surfactant concentration, emulsification time and internal to organic volume ratio (I/O) were evaluated. Results show that the lower droplet size of 0.9 µm and higher stable emulsion in terms of breakage percent of 1.12 % were formed at 5800 rpm of homogenizer speed, 4 v% of span 80 surfactant, 8 min of emulsification time and 1:1 (I/O) ratio while 86.4% of Abamectin pesticides were extracted under these conditions. Extraction kinetics and mass transfer study were also accomplished. The outcome of this study can be extended to the removal of other type of pesticides from water and wastewater.

Facile fabrication of Mxene coated metal mesh-based material for oil /water emulsion separation

The present study was set out to synthesize Mxene (Ti3C2Tx) and functionalized Mxene nanoparticles and fabricating Mxene coated stainless steel meshes using the dip-coating methodology to investigate the capability of Mxene nanoparticles in oil-water emulsion separation. O/W mixtures separation with extraordinary 100% of effectiveness and purity using designed grid was observed. Most specifically, Mxene fabricated mesh showed good resistance to corrosive solutions of HCl and NaOH and was used to separate O/W at harsh medium condition with a separation efficiency of more than after 96.0% replicated experiment, and its super-hydrophilicity persisted in spite of the air exposure condition, extreme fluids immersion, or abrasion. The XRD, FTIR, SEM, FESEM, AFM and DLS tests have been performed to characterize the Mxene coating and its effectiveness on the O/W separation. These analyzes confirm the fabricated tough super-hydrophilic stainless-steel mesh explored in this research can basically be utilized as a highly effective useful mesh for O/W fluid separation under different sever circumstances. The XRD pattern of the resulting powder shows a single phase formation of Mxene, the SEM and FESEM images confirms creation of coated mesh with approximately 30 µ pore size, AFM tests verify that structures (both in nm and µm sizes) formation with high RMS (Root Mean Square) roughness values of 0.18 µm and 0.22 µm for Mxene and carboxylic-Mxene coated mesh. The DLS tests prove the droplets size distribution of emulsion has been augmented after several O/W separation, which confirmed the coagulating mechanism of oil droplets once contacting with the Mxene and carboxylic Mxene coatings of the mesh.

Experimental Study and Numerical Simulation of W/O Emulsion in Developing Heavy Oil Reservoirs

In the process of waterflooding development of heavy oil, W/O emulsion has a strong ability to improve the mobility ratio and block the high-permeability layer, which can effectively improve the sweep coefficient and enhance oil recovery. In this paper, the stability and droplet size distribution of emulsions under different conditions were studied by taking heavy oil and formation water from Jimusar Oilfield in Xinjiang as samples. On this basis, double-pipe core flooding experiments were carried out to study the shut-off ability and oil displacement efficiency of W/O emulsion, and then a numerical simulation was carried out. The results show that oil and water can be completely emulsified when the stirring speed is higher than 4000 r/min. A stable emulsion can be formed when the experimental temperature is lower than 60 °C. A lower water cut results in a more stable emulsion. The emulsion is difficult to stabilize after the salinity exceeds 10,000 mg/L. When the pH value is about 7, the stability of the emulsion is the worst. With the increase in stirring speed, the increase in temperature, and the decrease in water content and salinity, the emulsion droplet size range is relatively concentrated, and the average particle size is smaller. In heterogeneous reservoirs, the permeability of different percolation channels is quite different, such that the displacement fluid only percolates along the high-permeability channel and cannot drive oil effectively. The results of displacement experiments show that the emulsion with a water cut of 60% has high viscosity and obvious sweep ability, but its stability is very poor; the effect is opposite when the water cut is less than 40%. The shut-off ability of W/O emulsion disappears gradually when the permeability contrast is more than 5.92. The research results are of great significance for improving oil recovery in heterogeneous heavy oil reservoirs.

Cellulose nanofiber from pomelo spongy tissue as a novel particle stabilizer for Pickering emulsion

For the high-value utilization of agricultural wastes to promote sustainable development, in this work, pomelo spongy tissue cellulose nanofibers (PCNFs) with lengths >3 μm and widths 33–64 nm were prepared by high pressure homogenization (HPH). The PCNFs were used to stabilized Pickering emulsion, and the emulsion with oil phase fraction in the range of 10 % to 50 % (w/w) exhibited outstanding stability. The increase in PCNFs concentration also enhanced the three-dimensional network structure, resulting in higher stability of the emulsion. Moreover, the droplet size distribution of emulsion would be greatly improved by moderate heating. No creaming was observed in emulsions over a wide range of ionic strengths (20–200 mM) after storage for 30 d. And the excellent emulsifying properties of the PCNFs were mainly attributed to their adsorption at the oil-water interface and the formation of a three-dimensional network structure. All the results indicated that the PCNF would be a promising novel stabilizer for Pickering emulsions.

Optimization of Pea Protein Isolate-Stabilized Oil-in-Water Ultra-Nanoemulsions by Response Surface Methodology and the Effect of Electrolytes on Optimized Nanoemulsions

Nanoemulsions are optically transparent and offer good stability, bioavailability, and control over the targeted delivery and release of lipophilic active components. In this study, pea protein isolate (PPI)-stabilized O/W nanoemulsions were evaluated using response surface methodology to obtain optimized ultra-nanoemulsions of Sauter mean diameter (D3,2) &lt; 100 nm using a high-pressure homogenizer (HPH). Furthermore, the effect of food matrix electrolytes, i.e., the pH and ionic strength, on the emulsion (prepared at optimized conditions) was investigated. The results revealed that the droplet size distribution of emulsions was mainly influenced by the PPI concentration and the interaction of oil concentration and HPH pressure. Moreover, a non-significant increase in droplet size was observed when the nanoemulsions (having an initial D3,2 &lt; 100 nm) were stored at 4 °C for 7 days. Based on the current experimental design, nanoemulsions with a droplet size &lt; 100 nm can effectively be prepared with a high PPI concentration (6.35%), with less oil (1.95%), and at high HPH pressure (46.82 MPa). Such emulsions were capable of maintaining a droplet size below 100 nm even at ionic conditions of up to 400 mM NaCl and at acidic pH.

Preparation and stabilization of Pickering emulsions by cationic cellulose nanocrystals synthesized from deep eutectic solvent

In this work, short rod-like cationic cellulose nanocrystals (AH-CNCs) were prepared by sodium periodate oxidation combined with deep eutectic solvent method. The effects of different content AH-CNCs on the properties of the emulsion were studied. With the increase of AH-CNCs content, the diameter of emulsion droplets decreased and the stabilization time prolonged. The electrostatic attraction between the negative charge accumulated at the oil-water interface and AH-CNCs with positive charge improved the stability of the emulsion. Then, the rheological properties showed the interaction of nanocellulose in the continuous phase increased the viscosity of the emulsion. In addition, the droplet diameter of emulsion of 120 s was smaller at different ultrasonic time, the particle size distribution of emulsion changed from monodisperse to polydisperse with the increase of oil volume, the salt concentration had little effect on the droplet size of emulsion, and the preparation of emulsion under acidic conditions was more stable.

A study of alkali-silica nanoparticle-polymer (ANP) flooding for enhancing heavy oil recovery

The method of nanofluid flooding to enhance heavy oil recovery has attracted much attention in oilfields. An EOR technology named alkali-silica nanoparticle-polymer (ANP) flooding was designed to enhance heavy oil recovery. The performance of the ANP flood system on reducing interfacial tension (IFT), altering the wettability of rock surface, emulsifying and displacing heavy oil were compared with that of polymer (P), alkali-polymer (AP) and nanoparticle-polymer (NP) flood systems. Visual flooding test was conducted to investigate the displacement mechanisms of different flood systems in porous media. ANP nanofluid could remain stable over 30 days without sedimentation of nanoparticles. The emulsifying ability of the four flood systems for heavy oil followed the order: P < NP < AP < ANP. Based on the analysis of droplet size distribution of emulsion and changes of IFT value with alkali concentration, the best formula of ANP system to emulsify heavy oil was 0.3% [w/v] Na2CO3 + 0.1% [w/v] silica nanoparticle + 1000 mg L−1 polymer. Electrostatic repulsion between silica nanoparticles and oil droplets played a dominated role on stabling ANP emulsion. ANP flood system could change the wettability of rock surface to a more water-wet state (contact angle varied from 85.4° to 35.6°). Core and visual flooding tests proved that ANP flood system had a better sweep and displacement efficiency for heavy oil than other three flood systems (P, AP and NP), which could enhance heavy oil recovery by 21.19% after water flooding in a sandstone core. Emulsification is the main mechanism for ANP flooding to enhance heavy oil recovery.

Influence of the droplet trajectory on the resulting droplet deformation and droplet size distribution in high‐pressure homogenizer orifices

AbstractHigh‐pressure homogenization is a commonly used process to produce emulsions with a droplet size of less than 1 μm. During the process, a pre‐emulsion is pumped with a pressure of several mega Pascal through a disruption unit, where the droplets are deformed and subsequently broken up in the turbulent area of the disruption unit. The scope of this investigation is to determine the influence of the droplet trajectory on the droplet size distribution of emulsions of different viscosity ratios or interfacial tension. Measurements of the droplet deformation prior to the droplet breakup using image‐processing tools complemented the observations. In addition, computational fluid dynamics simulations were performed to determine the stress history on the droplet trajectories. It was found that droplets on a trajectory close to the wall are more deformed when leaving the disruption unit compared to droplets on the centreline. The deformation of droplets at the edge of the jet increases downstream the disruption unit until it is finally disrupted. The simulation results support the experimental data, as it can be shown that shear and strain stresses on the trajectories close to the wall significantly exceed the stresses on the trajectories on the centreline. For an emulsion with a viscosity ratio greater than 3, droplets on a trajectory close to the wall resulted in smaller droplets and narrower droplet size distribution, while no significant influence was found for smaller viscosity ratios. Lowering the interfacial tension results in a stronger deformation, which was more pronounced for lower viscosity ratios (λ ≈ 3).

Measurements of bimodal droplet size distribution of emulsions using ultrasonic spectroscopy in the long and intermediate wavelength regimes

Ultrasonic spectroscopy has a great potential to measure the particle sizes in suspensions and emulsions of many industrial sectors. However, one significant challenge is measuring particle sizes in a broader range and concentrated systems due to the lack of theoretical models covering large particle wave-particle interaction mechanisms. An alternative way lies with the simultaneous application of ultrasonic theories that operate in long and intermediate wavelength regimes. This work used acoustic spectroscopy to measure size droplets of water-in-sunflower oil emulsions for a volume concentration range of 10 to 50% considering bimodal distributions. The observed attenuation spectra results were compared with the simplest acoustic models applied for the long and intermediate wavelength regimes. The results of ultrasonic spectroscopy agreed with those obtained by laser diffraction and indicate that the methodology used in this study is suitable to measure bimodal droplet distributions with diameters from 0.1 to 1000 μm and concentrations up to 40% vol.

Alginate-gelatin emulsion droplets for encapsulation of vitamin A by 3D printed microfluidics

Microfluidics is characterized by the manipulation of fluids in submillimeter channels and has great application potential in encapsulation. To further extend the application of microfluidics in food industries, a 3D printed microfluidic device is used to encapsulate vitamin A and improve its stability. Two natural macromolecules, sodium alginate and gelatin, are added to water as the continuous phase to generate monodisperse emulsion. Under different flow rate ratios, the diameter of droplets decreases with the increase of continuous flow rate. However, at the same flow rate ratio, varying the dispersed and continuous flow rates does not significantly change the diameter and size distribution of emulsion collected. The prepared O/W (oil/water) single emulsion can form microgel particles and avoid degradation of vitamin A by simulated gastric acid; the encapsulated vitamin A will not be released until particles reach simulated intestinal tract. In the simulated digestion in vitro, no vitamin A is released for 2 h in the acidic environment; under an alkaline or neutral environment such as those in intestinal fluids, vitamin A can be released from the microgel particles within 2.5 h. Using the presented approach, emulsions encapsulating vitamin A have been prepared and can potentially be applied to encapsulate other oil-soluble substances in the food industry.

Understanding of supramolecular emulsion interfacial polymerization in silico.

The composition and structure of a membrane determine its functionality and practical application. We study the supramolecular polymeric membrane prepared by supramolecular emulsion interfacial polymerization (SEIP) on the oil-in-water droplet via the computer simulation method. The factors that may influence its structure and properties are investigated, such as the degree of polymerization and molecular weight distribution (MWD) of products in the polymeric membranes. We find that the SEIP can lead to a higher total degree of polymerization as compared to the supramolecular interfacial polymerization (SIP). However, the average chain length of products in the SEIP is lower than that of the SIP due to its obvious interface curvature. The stoichiometric ratio of reactants in two phases will affect the MWD of the products, which further affects the performance of the membranes in practical applications, such as drug release rate and permeability. Besides, the MWD of the product by SEIP obviously deviates from the Flory distribution as a consequence of the curvature of reaction interface. In addition, we obtain the MWD for the emulsions whose size distribution conforms to the Gaussian distribution so that the MWD may be predicted according to the corresponding emulsion size distribution. This study helps us to better understand the controlling factors that may affect the structure and properties of supramolecular polymeric membranes by SEIP.

Ultrasonic assisted oil-in-water emulsions stabilized by flaxseed protein isolate: influence of different oils

In this study, the physicochemical properties and stability of ultrasonic assisted flaxseed protein isolates (FPI) emulsions containing medium chain triglycerides (MCT), soybean oil, flaxseed oil, or docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) algae oil were investigated. The particle size distribution, zeta-potential, turbiscan stability index (TSI), and backscattering profiles were determined. The results showed that the emulsions containing flaxseed oil had the smallest droplet size and the lowest TSI value after 30 min ultrasonic treatment. Flaxseed oil emulsions showed the best storage stability with minimum clarified layer and cream layer after 10 days storage. MCT emulsions were more sensitive to salt, and less stable than other oil emulsions. Soybean oil, flaxseed oil, and DHA oil emulsions had good stability under low ionic strengths (0–50 mM NaCl), and became unstable under high ionic strengths (150 and 300 mM). Thermal treatment had great influence on the particle size distribution of emulsions. The particle size of the four oils emulsions increased after heating at 90 °C for 30 min. However, the particle size of DHA oil and flaxseed oil emulsions decreased after heating at 50 °C for 30 min. In conclusion, ultrasonic treatment is one of the effective ways to improve stability of FPI-stabilized emulsions, which are based on the oil type and ultrasound intensity. The effects of oil type and chain length on particle size and stability of FPI-stabilized emulsions could be further studied.

Synthesis of surface ion-imprinted polymer for specific detection of thorium under acidic conditions

A fibrous surface ion-imprinted polymer (IIP) was synthesized for thorium removal through direct electron beam radiation using thorium as a template. Polypropylene coated by polyethylene non-woven fabrics (PE/PP) was used as a substrate. The PE/PP non-woven fabrics were irradiated in the presence of the phosphoric monomer (2-HMPA) composed of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylic phosphoric acid diester (50%) and monoester (50%) emulsified with the crosslinker. Hence, the formation of the three-dimensional IIP-Th crosslinked network and complexation between thorium (template) and 2-HMPA was investigated. The emulsion stability and particle size distribution of emulsion were determined using dynamic light scattering (DLS). Various factors influencing the synthesis of the thorium ion-imprinted (Th-IIP) non-woven PE/PP such as the absorbed radiation dose, monomer concentration, and type of crosslinker were investigated. The IIP-Th was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy–energy-dispersive X-ray (SEM–EDX), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and applied as an adsorbent for the removal of thorium using the batch adsorption method. The IIP-Th achieved a maximum distribution coefficient of 3.293 g/L and selectivity ratio (Th(IV)/U(VI)) of 9.5 after 90 min of contact time under acidic conditions. The adsorption kinetics of IIP-Th followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model for both Th(IV) adsorption and U(VI) adsorption. The synthesized fibrous surface ion-imprinted polymer is a promising candidate for the selective removal of thorium ions from aqueous solution.

Studies and properties of styrene/butadiene/γ-(methacryloxypropyl) trimethoxy silane copolymer emulsion at room temperature

The copolymer of styrene/butadiene/γ-(methacryloxypropyl) trimethoxy silane (random -Bd-St-MPS- copolymer) was synthesized by the semi-batch emulsion terpolymerization. The copolymer of random -Bd-St- and -Bd-St-MPS- copolymer were characterized by fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) analysis, respectively. From FTIR and 1H NMR, the random -Bd-St- and -Bd-St-MPS- copolymers were synthesized successfully. The effect of the St:Bd:MPS ratio on the solids content, particle size, fraction of gel, thermal properties, and mechanical properties were studied. The particle size distribution of emulsion was uniform. The thermal stability of the random -Bd-St-MPS- copolymer was better than that of -Bd-St-, and increased with the increasing of MPS feed content. When the mass of MPS was 2 phr, the tensile strength of silica reinforced -Bd-St-MPS- copolymer was 10.35 MPa.

Optimization of low-energy Pickering nanoemulsion stabilized with montmorillonite and nonionic surfactants

Nanoemulsions have been widely studied and used in food, medicine, cosmetics and other industries. However, there are few studies on nanoemulsions stabilized with solid particles. In this work, water-in-oil nanoemulsions were prepared with stearyltrimethylammoniumchloride modified montmorillonite (STAC/MMT) and nonionic surfactants using low-energy method. STAC/MMT was characterized by FT-IR, XRD, SEM, TEM and a three-phase contact angle measuring instrument. In particular, the effect of additional order was investigated. The most stable emulsion was obtained by adding STAC/MMT and surfactant to the oil phase and the water phase, respectively, and then slowly dropping the water phase into the oil phase. The particle size distribution of emulsion was carried out using dynamic light scattering and the effects of STAC/MMT content, surfactant type and oil composition on emulsion stability were revealed. It proved that the surfactant and solid particles had synergistic interaction in the system. When the ratio of STAC/MMT to emulsifier (w/w) was 0.40, Tween® 85 was selected, and the ratio of Vitamin E to mix oil phase (w/w) was 0.20, the obtained emulsion was the most stable. The emulsion showed good thermal and static stability, and had potential applications in drug carriers, food and cosmetics.