Phase separation during emulsification

Although such polymer/LC composite films are usually prepared by emulsification and phase separation techniques, the resulting composites have a variety of morphological characteristics arising from differences in conditions and compositions during sample preparation. The polymer/LC composite films are mainly classified into four types ... 

A (macro)emulsion is formed when two immiscible Hquids, usually water and a hydrophobic organic solvent, an oil, are mechanically agitated (5) so that one Hquid forms droplets in the other one. A microemulsion, on the other hand, forms spontaneously because of the self-association of added amphiphilic molecules. During the emulsification agitation both Hquids form droplets, and with no stabilization, two emulsion layers are formed, one with oil droplets in water (o /w) and one of water in oil (w/o). However, if not stabilized the droplets separate into two phases when the agitation ceases. If an emulsifier (a stabilizing compound) is added to the two immiscible Hquids, one of them becomes continuous and the other one remains in droplet form. 

By selecting optimum impeller speed during emulsification, surfactant concentration, volume ratio of surfactant solution, carrier concentration, and a suitable feed phase composition, uniformly distributed stable emulsion could be obtained to provide a high separation factor and higher mass transfer rate. 

Multiple emulsions made of low-molecular-weight emulsifiers (the so-called monomeric emulsifiers) are mostly unstable thermodynamically. This is mainly because in the second stage of the emulsification severe homogenization or shear are not recommended, and as a result large droplets are obtained. During years of research attempts have been made to find proper and more suitable combinations of emulsifiers to reduce droplets sizes and to improve the emulsion stability. Aggregation, flocculation, and coalescence (occurring in the inner phase and between the multiple-emulsion droplets) lead to rupture of droplets and separation of the phases and thus are major factors behind the instability of the emulsions. 

An ab initio emulsion polymerisation involves the emulsification of one or more monomers in a continuous aqueous phase and stabilisation of the droplets by a surfactant. In a seeded emulsion polymerisation, one starts instead with a preformed seed latex. Usually, a water-soluble initiator is used to start the free-radical polymerisation. The locus of polymerisation is within the submicron polymer particles (either formed during the process or added at the start), which are swollen with monomer during the polymerisation process, and dispersed in the aqueous phase. The final product is a latex comprising a colloidal dispersion of polymer particles in water. Ab initio emulsion polymerisation differs from suspension, mini- and microemulsion polymerisations in that the particles form as a separate phase during the polymerisation process. The particle size is much smaller than those formed in a suspension polymerisation. 

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