Lecithins hydrophilic-lipophilic balance values

The manner in which lecithin is modified to achieve increased hydrophilicity will greatly affect its emulsification properties. Different modifications will create lecithin products with different apparent HLB (hydrophile-lipophile balance) values, a term used to convey the approximate degree of water dispersibility (hydrophilicity) of lecithin products (31). The higher its HLB value, the more water dispersible the lecithin product. In o/w emulsions, the type of fat to be emulsified may require a specific type of hydrophilic lecithin for optimum emulsion stability. Dashiell (31) provides a short listing of fat types, and the corresponding class of lecithin found to give the most stable emulsion in model systems of water/fat/ emulsifier. 

Table 10.6 Hydrophilic-lipophilic balance values of modified lecithins...

The hydrophilicity of nonionic surfactants can be characterized numerically as their hydrophile-lipophile balance (HLB). An HLB value of 3-6 indicates that the compound is a likely W/O emulsifier 7-9, a wetting agent 8-13, an O/W emulsifier 13-15, a detergent and 15-18, a solubilizer (of oil or other nonpolar compounds) in water. The HLB values of some common compounds are presented in Table 34.12.170 An HLB value of 8.0 is shown in Table 34.12 for lecithin, but manufacturers are able to supply modified lecithins with values of2-12. 

The initial step in the fabrication of a multiple emulsion (W/OAV) is to prepare a primary emulsion (W/0). It is generally agreed that the surfactant for the primary emulsion should have an HLB value of 3-6 (in the hydrophilic-lipophilic balance system of surfactant classification). Surfactants that have successfully been utilized include Span 80 (sorbitan oleate Nianxi et al, 1992 Zheng et al, 1993 Omotosho et al, 1990), E644 (polyamine Nianxieia/., 1992),N205 (polyamine Nianxi eta/., 1992), TX-4 (polyoxyethylene aUcylphenol ether Nianxi et al, 1992), MO A3 (polyoxyethylene aliphatic alcohol ether Nianxi et al, 1992), Brij 93 (Nianxi et al, 1992), polyoxamers [poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide) block copolymer Law et al, 19861, and egg lecithin. The surfactant or combination of surfactants is then dissolved in the oil... 

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