Broken and unstable emulsions are often caused by excessive bacterial contamination. Emulsions are the type of a more common class of two-phase systems of matter called Colloids. Rust can occur if an emulsion breaks, in which case the instability of the emulsion renders the rust inhibitors ineffective. Stable emulsions can be destroyed by inactivating or destroying the emulsifying agent - by methods like adding appropriate third substances or by freezing or heating. Emulsions are colloidal dispersed systems, where one liquid is dispersed in another in the form of small droplets without mixing. Unstable emulsions eventually separate into two liquid layers. Emulsion or emulsion paint is a water-based paint used for painting walls and ceilings.an undercoat of white emulsion paint.a matt emulsion. Such agents encapsulate the fuel in a fuel-water emulsion, thereby trapping the flammable vapors in the water phase.Įmulsions are stabilized by agents that form films at the surface of the droplets (such as soap molecules) or that impart to them a mechanical stability (such as colloidal carbon or bentonite). Emulsions are unstable and thus do not form spontaneously.Įmulsifying agents are effective at extinguishing fires on small, thin-layer spills of flammable liquids (class B fires). When oil is used as the main fluid and 40-percent water is added (emulsified) into the oil, it is described as a water-in-oil emulsion. Emulsions tend to have a cloudy appearance, because the many phase interfaces scatter light that passes through the emulsion. For example, so-called photographic emulsion is actually a gelatin gel in which tiny crystals of silver bromide are dispersed.Įmulsions consist of a dispersed and a continuous phase the boundary between these phases is called the interface. The term emulsion is often applied to mixed systems that should better be characterized as solutions, suspensions or gels. The meaning of EMULSIFY is to disperse in an emulsion also : to convert (two or more immiscible liquids) into an emulsion. The oil forms drops and disperses throughout the water. Last updated: 5 min read Oil and water don’t mixexcept when they do: in salad dressing, hollandaise, vinaigrette, and dozens of other emulsified sauces. Oil and water mixtures are emulsions when shaken together. An emulsion is a colloid of two or more immiscible liquids where one liquid contains a dispersion of the other liquid(s).