How to Use Emulsifiers
An emulsifier is a substance that stabilizes an emulsion, which is a mixture of two or more liquids that do not blend. One liquid is known as the dispersed phase, to be dispersed in another liquid, the continuous phase. A mixture of oil and water form a common type of emulsion in which oil is the dispersed phase and water is the continuous phase. Emulsifiers have many common applications as food ingredients, detergents, medical treatments and fire-fighting aids.
Instructions
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Make detergents with emulsifiers. An emulsifier stabilizes the interaction between oil and water so that the detergents can dissolve the oil in dirty clothing, thus providing a cleaning action. This principle applies to many different types of detergents, shampoos and soaps.
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Prepare creams and lotions with emulsifiers. Common examples of these types of emulsifiers include ceteareth, cetearyl alcohol, emulsifying wax and polysorbate.
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Make nanoemulsions for medical use. Emulsions with an extremely small dispersion phase are known as nanoemulsions. They are most commonly used to disinfect nonporous surfaces and are known to be effective against HIV-1 and tuberculosis.
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Extinguish fires by spraying them with an emulsifying solution from a high-pressure hose. This technique is especially effective against thin layers of flammable liquids known as Class B fires. The emulsifier encapsulates the fuel in an emulsion of fuel and water, which keeps the vapors from combusting.
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Use emulsifiers to keep immiscible liquids from separating in food items. Egg yolk is a food emulsifier that is routinely used to stabilize the mixture of oil and water in Hollandaise sauce and mayonnaise. Honey and mustard are also common food emulsifiers.
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