Benefits of emulsions
An emulsion refers to a mixture of at least two liquids that normally do not mix well together. ‘Â Some people also refer to the mixture as a colloid but strictly speaking, when the initial dispersed phase and the next continuous phase both result into a liquid form, the object involved is called an emulsion. ‘Â Making emulsions has a variety of applications in many industries and can provide the following benefits:
1. Wide use in the food industry
Vinaigrette, mayonnaise, and milk are just few of the many food items that are actually created by means of emulsion. ‘Â In the case of vinaigrette, vegetable oil is mixed with vinegar. ‘Â Mayonnaise meanwhile contains oil and water while milk has milk fat and water. ‘Â All these emulsion liquids are made stable through a substance called an emulsifier. Emulsifiers act as kinetic stabilizers of the liquid mixture involved.
2. Medicinal use
Various beauty products and topical creams are also created from emulsions making them a big help to the medical and/or health-related industries. ‘Â In most cases, oil and water is mixed to form lotions, creams, pastes, or liquids. ‘Â Emulsions that are more liquid may be used as an oral medicine and cream-based emulsions are best for topical application.
3. Various uses in other industries
The industry of metalworking also benefits from emulsions in the form of cutting fluids. ‘Â These fluids usually contain oil and water and may be sourced from petroleum and plant oil among many others. ‘Â Cutting fluids are also used as cooling agents and lubricants for various machine works. ‘Â Aside from the machine and metalworking industries, emulsions can also be found in the form of paints. ‘Â Many construction experts prefer emulsion paints because of the improved stability of the water and pigment mixture. ‘Â With liquid polymer acting as the emulsifying agent, the elements in the mixture are strongly bound together.
As discussed above, emulsions provide a wide variety of benefits to people depending on how they are used and what liquids are involved in the process. ‘Â The only thing required is that all emulsions or liquid mixtures should have emulsifiers to make them stable and more useful.
