An "O/S" emulsion in a system containing tween 80 surfactant and hexadecane oil

An emulsion was prepared from hexadecane and a surfactant, Tween 80 (a commercial polyoxyethylene sorbitan mono-oleate), and the destabilization process was followed by visual observation of the separation of the emulsion aided by optical microscopy to estimate droplet size versus time. The emulsions had inferior stability, and the destabilization was completed within a few days. The results showed the emulsion to destabilize with the flocculation step immediately followed by coalescence. The separation rate was at a level calculated from the sedimentation rate of a dilute emulsion. This result was not anticipated, considering the large fraction of the dispersed phase, and an assumption was made as to what counteracting factors may have affected the results.