How Emulsions Are Used To Make Homogenous Mixtures

Emulsions are mixtures that contain two or more substances that cannot combine to make homogenous mixtures. One of the liquids contains dispersions of the other substances. The emulsions are formed from shaking the substances vigorously to counteract the different densities of the substances. The extra substances added to the emulsions beside water and oil are refered to as emulsifiers. The emulsifiers are substances added to keep the oil from separating completely from the water. Emulsions are made when water and oil with other substances are mixed together causing the oil to form droplets in the water. The droplets spread out in the water forming the emulsion. Adding emulsifiers to the mixture strengthens the emulsion; they help keep the …show more content…
The oil floats on top of water due to it being less dense, but tiny droplets of oil can be dispersed in water to form an emulsion. It is possible to make an emulsion by shaking just oil and water together. Shaking the two together breaks up the oil into droplets that scatter throughout the water. When finished shaking, the oil and water mixture will separate and in a little time the oil will float back up to the surface of the water. To make the oil droplets stay in the water for a longer time, you need to add an emulsifier. The molecule of an emulsifier works in two parts. One part of the molecule has an electric charge and dissolves in water but not oil. This part of the molecule is hydrophilic, meaning it loves water. The other part is a hydrocarbon, which dissolves in oil but not water. This part of the molecule is hydrophobic, meaning water fearing. The emulsifier molecule dissolves with its head in water and its tail in an oil droplet. The larger the number of emulsifier molecules there are allows you to keep the oil droplets dispersed in the water for longer time …show more content…
The manufacture of polymer emulsion paints involves mixing dry pigment into a polymer emulsion, which rarely creates a usable paint. Several emulsifiers are needed to produce a useable paint. The polymer solids require emulsifiers to be added to keep them from binding together before the liquid evaporates. Dispersants are needed to keep the pigments from clumping together and settling out of the liquid. Thickeners are used to transform the milky quality into a paint-like consistency and texture. The type of paint film that is formed depends on the specific polymer formulation used. Since each formula has desirable qualities and undesirable qualities, most paint manufacturers blend the various polymers like chefs to obtain the best working