Properties of Emulsions and Foams

FDSC400

Goals
Properties of emulsions
Type
Size
Volume fraction

Destabilization of emulsions
Creaming
Flocculation
Coalescence

Foams

Emulsion
A fine dispersion of one liquid in a
second, largely immiscible liquid. In
foods the liquids are inevitably oil
and an aqueous solution.

Types of Emulsion
m
Water
Oil

Oil-in-water emulsion

Water-in-oil emulsion

Multiple Emulsions
m
Water
Oil

Water-in-oil-in-water emulsion

Oil-in-water-in-oil emulsion

Emulsion Size

< 0.5 m
0.5-1.5 m
1.5-3 m
>3 m

Number Distributions

< 0.5 m
0.5-1.5 m
1.5-3 m
>3 m

Number

Very few large

droplets contain
most of the oil

ty
spersi
Polydi

(Volume in class Total volume measured)

Median

Large droplets
often contribute
most to
instability

Note log scale

Volume Fraction
=Total volume of the dispersed phase
Total volume of the system
Close packing, max
Monodisperse
Ideal ~0.69
Random ~0.5
Polydisperse
Much greater

/N
m -2
s
y
os
it
pe
vi
sc

No slip at
the wall

Force /N
Force per unit area /Nm-2

Distance/ m

Maximum induced flow rate /ms-1

Sl
o

Viscosity

Viscosity is the force

required to achieve unit
flow rate

Shear rate /s-1

Emulsion Viscosity
Viscosity of emulsion

0 2.5
Continuous phase viscosity

Emulsion droplets
disrupt streamlines
and require more
effort to get the
same flow rate

Dispersed phase
volume fraction

Chemical Composition
Interfacial layer. Essential to
stabilizing the emulsion
Oil Phase. Limited effects on
the properties of the emulsion
Aqueous Phase. Aqueous
chemical reactions affect the
interface and hence emulsion
stability

Emulsion Destabilization

Creaming
Flocculation
Coalescence
Combined methods

Creaming
Buoyancy
(Archimedes)

Friction
(Stokes-Einstein)

3dv

d g
Fb

6
2
d g
vs
18c
3

Continuous phase viscosity

density difference
g Acceleration due to gravity
ddroplet diameter
v droplet terminal velocity
vs Stokes velocity

Flocculation and Coalescence

Collis
io
sticki n and
n g (r e
action
)

o
Reh

Stir o
r
chem change
ic
condi al
tions

ge
mo
atio
niz
n

lm
i
F

FLOCCULATION
r
u
t
p
ru

COALESCENCE

Rheology of Flocculated
Emulsions
Flocculation leads to an
increase in viscosity
Water is trapped within
the floc and must flow
with the floc
Effective volume fraction
increased
rg

Gelled Emulsions
Thin liquid

Viscous liquid

Gelled solid

Creaming & Slight Flocculation

Flocs have larger
effective size
Smaller
Tend to cream much
faster

Creaming & Extreme Flocculation

Heavily flocculated
emulsions form a
network
Solid-like properties
(gel)
Do not cream (may
collapse after lag
period)

Foams
Concentrated

Dilute

Dilute Foams

Somewhat similar to emulsions

Various modes of formation
Large (~mm) spherical bubbles
Very fast creaming
Ostwald ripening

Concentrated Foams
Distorted nonspherical gas cells
Very high volume
fraction, often >99%

Foam Drainage
Water drains from
foam under gravity
As water leaves, faces
of film are brought
closer together

Film Rupture
Film must thin then burst
Inhibited by surfactant repulsion/interfacial
film
Self-repair by the Gibbs-Marangoni effect