Thickeners are substances, used to add additional effects to the solution. In this case, electrolytes play an important role. The presence of electrolytes is the reason for the emulsion in the formulation. The process of emulsion is a complex one and it is needed to have detailed research. In this article, we are going to explore the process of oil-in-water emulsions.
It becomes a crucial task to understand what is emulsification? Generally, oil and water can’t get mixed with each other but still, if they do, then the process of emulsification takes place. To emulsify means to combine two immiscible liquids in a suspension, like water and oil. As we know earlier, oil can’t get mixed with water so the tiniest part of oil gets broken down and gets a homogenous texture leaving behind the suspended form in water. The chain of emulsification takes place between dispersed solution like oil and continuous solution like water.
The exact process of Emulsification
The function of emulsification can’t be possible between two different substances without a combination. Here comes the role of emulsifier. It separates both the different forms of liquids. It gives a kind of coating which ultimately makes the droplets separate from each other. Emulsifiers are fat-soluble substances and water-soluble substances having molecules. The fat-soluble part gets fixed with oil and on the other hand, the water-soluble part gets mixed with water. Which in turn, creates an effective barrier around the droplets. It appears in many different forms. It carries many examples like milk protein named casein and egg yolk.
Examples of naturally available emulsions
As we have seen earlier, the emulsions are a combination of fand water-based solutions. Let’s see how emulsions are available naturally.
- Milk is an emulsion, where milk fat droplets are there in a water solution. The whole milk contains about four percent of fat content. The formation of milk itself gives the origin of emulsification. It is adopted from Latin which means milk.
- We can take cream and butter as natural emulsifiers as they carry fats.
- Butter is different from the most natural emulsifier. Let‘s understand how it differs. In the case of most emulsions, 80% of the volume is fat in a continuous phase wherein butter, if the water is removed from it, is not considered an emulsion.
- Egg yolks containing which is fat suspended in water is both emulsions and emulsifier. It is because it has a high content of lecithin and other emulsifying protein.
Importance of Emulsification
We have seen naturally available emulsifiers and emulsions. Now it is the time to understand, the importance of it. It is very important to understand the nature of the substance. Most oil-in-water emulsions are acrylate-based polymers. It gets thickened through binding water. Electrolytes dissipate the charge and reduce the thickening capacity of the polymers.
In order to achieve a target of 1-1.5% thickener, to get the targeted viscosity, you are supposed to take a salt-tolerant thickener. If you add such thickeners, then you will get a solution of 1.5%. Use a thickener like Xanthan gum. Different grades of carbomers give you a various range of viscosity.
Use of emulsions in different industries
Emulsions can be used in different industries taking advantage of a combination of fat base solutions and water-based solutions. One such use is in the food industry. It is used to make various kinds of sauces to add flavours to food. It gives consistency to the entire binding of the food. Such examples of emulsified sauces are hollandaise and mayonnaise. French or custard-based ice cream, generally made with egg – yolk is the best example of this solution.
The other widespread use of emulsions is in the pharma industry. It is used to produce ointments, medicines and many other medical products. The cosmetic industry is the next to use the emulsion properties of oil and water to generate the required viscosity. It is widely used in the industries by oil-in-water thickeners.
Take Away
The oil-in-water emulsion is widely used in order to separate oil and water in the solutions which are used in various industries like pharma, food, and cosmetics. It is also used by the industries which deal with the mixture of oil and water to have a combined effect of the thickeners, it binds the liquid or a semi -liquids to give it a form or a texture. It actually occurred naturally. The examples like milk, and egg yolks where we can see the oil-in-water solutions. Thickener is an important factor in terms of binding and the viscosity of the fluids. It is very much important in the production of various sauces. We hope that this article must have given you the information you were looking for. Drop your suggestions right here in the suggestion box. Your feedback is a crucial part which helps us to serve you better. Keep on reading and exploring with us.