Rheological Innovations in Surfactant Polymer Selection to Resolve Viscosity Challenges in High Internal Phase Water-in-Oil Emulsions for Personal Care products
Abstract: Our research develops a novel rheological methodology to characterize surfactant polymers in high internal phase Water-in-Oil emulsions, such as those found in Body lotions and personal care products. Traditionally, the stability of such emulsions requires extensive resource allocation to produce small lab-scale batches for discrimination between approved and rejected material lots—a process both time-consuming and costly. Our method innovatively leverages intrinsic viscosity measurements in various concentrations, eschewing the need for batch manufacturing and thereby significantly streamlining the approval process.
The experimentation revealed that residual ethylene oxide/propylene oxide polymers in the surfactant could induce formulation instability. These findings were pivotal in differentiating the emulsification efficacy of various lots. The study's methodology proved both repeatable and reproducible, with clear discrimination between good and subpar surfactant batches.
Significantly, this research introduces a rapid, reliable alternative to traditional batch testing within the industry, demonstrating potential for broad application across similar formulations within the AOCS community. This technique invariably enhances material evaluation processes and could spur innovative applications, providing substantial value to the scientific membership at the AOCS1.
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