Effect of oil type on stability of high internal phase water-in-oil emulsions with super-cooled internal phase

This study considered the stability and rheology of a type of high internal phase water-in-oil emulsions (W/O) emulsion. The aqueous phase of the emulsions is a super-cooled inorganic salt solution. The oil phase is a mixture of industrial grade oils and stabilizer. Instability of these systems manifests as crystallization of the metastable dispersed droplets with time. This work focused on the effects of oil polarity and oil viscosity on the stability of these emulsions. Ten types of industrial oils, covering the viscosity range 1.4–53.2?cP, and with varying polarity, were used in combination with polymeric poly(isobutylene) succinic anhydride (PIBSA) and sorbitan monooleate (SMO)-based surfactants. The effect of oil relative polarity on rheological parameters of the emulsion was evident mainly in the emulsions stabilized using polymeric surfactant, whereas the oil viscosity did not show any significant effect. The optimum stability of the emulsions stabilized with SMO was achieved using high polar oils with a viscosity of 3?±?0.5?cP. However, when using the PIBSA surfactant, the best emulsion stability was achieved with low polar, high viscosity oils.