Microemulsification of triglyceride oils

Microemulsions are being researched intensively both experimentally and theoretically. Generally, in these oil/water systems hydrocarbon oils are being used. This paper addresses the development of microemulsions using polar oils, e.g. triglyceride oils.. The emulsifiers used were lecithines and short-chain monoglycerides. It turned out that these components generate a more complicated phase behaviour than the classical Winsor LII and III evolution as is often encountered for hydrocarbon oils. However Winsor III systems containig a middle D phase were found and one-phase isotropic mixtures of triglyceride and water have been developed, though at relatively high emulsifier concentrations. An attempt has been made to explain the evolution of the phase behaviour from the (in)miscibility of the components in the respective water-PC-monoglyceride and the oil-PC-monoglyceride ternary systems.