Stable O/W emulsions by combining Pluronic L64 and Sodium Alginate
Nadia Russo, Pietro Renato Avallone, Nino Grizzuti, Rossana Pasquino
Abstract
Emulsions play a pivotal role in many industrial fields, including food, pharmaceutics, and cosmetics. This paper explores the simultaneous effects of varying concentrations of Pluronic and Sodium Alginate (Alg), with particular attention to the resulting stability and the rheological properties of the incoming oil-in-water emulsions. Pluronics are used as amphiphilic molecules to stabilize the oil droplet interface, Alg is instead used to increase the viscosity of the suspending medium in a way to slow down droplet coalescence. High shear mixing is used to prepare the emulsions, and rheology and optical microscopy are employed to assess their microstructure. By optimizing both Alg and Pluronic concentrations, emulsions stable up to 90 days are achieved.