Emulsifiers are substances that enable the formation of emulsions and prevent the reaggregation of molecules.
An emulsion is a colloidal system consisting of at least two immiscible liquids, where one phase is dispersed in the other in the form of droplets.
Emulsifiers are chemical compounds of amphiphilic structure, which means that hydrophilic polar groups (called ‘head’) and hydrophobic non-polar groups (called ‘tail’) are present in their structure. The most common emulsifiers are surfactants. The emulsifier molecules adsorb at the phase boundary, reducing the interfacial tension. After reducing the tension, a spontaneous emulsification process takes place under the influence of the movement of particles. The resulting stable system is called an emulsion.
Two basic types of emulsions are distinguished:
There are two methods for obtaining emulsions:
Emulsifiers are used in almost all branches of industry. Among others, they are used in the production of agrochemicals, detergents, paints, varnishes, food products, packaging, cosmetics; cleaning and industrial washing; in the construction, paper, metallurgy, pharmaceutical, fuel and textile industries.
