INTRODUCTION AND LITERATURE MICROSCOPIC
APPROACH
Polymers are widely used in the industry to control viscosity,
provide end use properties and enhance the shelf life. At high
concentration, the polymer stabilizes the emulsion forming a
percolated network, which can persist for a very long period
of time (months), but ended always to collapse and giving
two separated phases. This kind of emulsions is very
problematic for industry as no method exists to predict the
breaking of the emulsions, samples can be qualified stables in
QC-tests and break after during commercialization.
Teece & al. show from confocal microscopy measurements
that for O/W emulsions with xanthan, droplets form a
network with strands of thickness ls and mesh size
depending on polymer concentration (see figure hereunder).
They correlate this size properties with visual observation of
destabilization. The smaller the cages and the thinner the
strands, the longest the delayed collapse. This method with
confocal microscopy detection is powerful but not ready to
use for industry, requires to add fluorescent agent, to have
experience to fix parameters and obtain good quality images.
