Question

The emulsifying agent forms an interfacial film between suspended particles and the medium. The principle emulsifying agents O/W emulsion are?

Answer 1

Hint: Emulsion two or more liquids are immiscible therefore appear different phases of liquids are present in the mixture. There are two main types of emulsion : oil in water and water in oil emulsion. Emulsifying agents are used to maintain the stability of the formed emulsion.


Complete answer:
As we know that there are two types of emulsion, those are oil in water and water in oil emulsion. In an emulsion, there are two continuous phases also called the dispersion medium and the other is a dispersed phase. In the continuous phase, the particles of the dispersed phase are suspended. For example, in the case of the oil in water emulsion, oil is a dispersed phase and water is the continuous phase. It indicates the oil droplets are suspended in the water.
In the case of the water in oil type of the emulsion, water is the dispersed phase and water is the continuous phase. It indicates the water droplets are suspended in the oil.
Emulsifying agents are the surface-active agents present between the dispersion medium and dispersed phase during the emulsion preparation and prevent the formed particles of the dispersed phase from recombining.
In the case of the Oil in water emulsion, the emulsifying agents used are proteins, gums, agar, natural or synthetic soaps, etc.

 These emulsifying agents avoid the oil molecules to combine and maintain the oil droplets in the oil-water emulsion.


Note:Emulsifying agents are also called emulsifiers which stabilize the emulsion by creating electrostatic repulsion or steric repulsion between the particles of the dispersed phase and the dispersion medium. Decreasing the size of the dispersed particles, by reducing the density of the dispersion, protecting the surface of the suspended droplets of the dispersed phase results in the effective emulsion.