Lecture No.30 Pharm D.

1st

Course: Physical Pharmacy-I

Instructor: Dr. Gul Rehman Elmi

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Key Learning Objectives
❑Upon Completion of this lecture you will be able to understand:
❑Get knowledge about the theories, preparation and emulsifiers of
emulsions.

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Classification of Emulsifying Agents
❑Emulsions are stabilized by adding an emulsifying agent.
❑Have both hydrophilic & Lipophilic part in their chemical
structure
❑All emulsifying agents get adsorbed onto the Oil : water
interface to provide a protective barrier around dispersed
droplets.
Classification of Emulsifying Agents
❑Commonly used Emulsifying agents are:
1. Natural emulsifying agents from vegetable sources: Acacia, Tragacanth,
Agar, Chondrus, pectin and Starch
2. Natural emulsifying agents from animal sources: Gelatin, Egg yolk and
wool fat.
3. Semi synthetic polysaccharides: Methyl cellulose and Sodium
carboxymethyl cellulose.
4. Synthetic emulsifying agents: Anionic, Cationic and Non-ionic
5. Inorganic emulsifying agents: Milk of magnesia, Magnesium oxide,
Magnesium trisilicate, Magnesium aluminum trisilicate, Bentonite etc.
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HLB System
❑System was developed to assist in making systemic decisions of
amounts and types of surfactants needed in stable products.
❑System is called HLB (hydrophile-lipophile balance) system and has
an arbitrary scale of 1-18.
❑Low HLB Indicates ?
✓Low number of hydrophilic groups on emulsifier thus imparting
Lipophilic character e.g., Spans
❑High HLB indicates ?
✓Emulsifier has high number of hydrophilic groups thus imparting
more hydrophilic character e.g., Tweens
 HLB Value
❑is balance of size and
strength of hydrophilic
and lipophilic moieties
of surfactant.

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 Theories of Emulsification
❑Emulsification is done by addition of surfactants with following
mechanisms
1. Reduction of interfacial tension – Thermodynamic stabilization
2. Formation of interfacial film – mechanical barrier to aggregation
3. Formation of electrical double layer – electrical barrier to
approach of particles
Theories of Emulsification
1. Interfacial Tension
❑Even though reduction of interfacial tension lowers interfacial free
energy produced on dispersion.
❑Surfactants/emulsifiers are adsorbing on interface of them, because
hydrophilic head have affinity towards water and hydrophobic tail
towards oil.
❑This is responsible for reduction of interfacial tension and two
immiscible phases become miscible.

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Theories of Emulsification
2. Interfacial Film
❑Formation of film by emulsifier is similar to adsorption of
surfactants at interface of an oil and water.
❑If concentration of emulsifier is high enough, it forms a rigid film
between immiscible phases which act as mechanical bar to both
adhesion and emulsifier of emulsion droplets.
❑In O / W emulsions, mixture of sodium cetyl sulfate and cholesterol
form more stable interfacial film.

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Theories of Emulsification
3. Electrical Repulsion / Electrical Double Layer
❑It has just been described how interfacial films significantly alter
rate of coalescence of droplets by acting as barriers.
❑In addition, same film can produce repulsive electrical forces
between approaching droplets.
❑Such repulsion is due to electrical double layer, which may arise
from electrically charged groups oriented on surface of emulsified
globules.

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Methods of Preparation of Emulsions
❑Commercially, emulsions are prepared in large volume mixing tanks
and refined and stabilized by passage through a colloid mill or
homogenizer.
❑Extemporaneous production is more concerned with small scale
methods.
1) Dry Gum Methods
2) Wet Gum Methods
3) Bottle Method
4) Beaker Method
1. DRY GUM Method

❑Dry gum method is used to prepare the initial or primary emulsion

from oil, water, and a hydrocolloid or "gum" type emulsifier.

Dry Gum Methodology

(4 parts oil, 2 parts water, and 1 part Emulsifier).

1. DRY GUM Method
Procedure:
❑Take mortar, 1 part gum is levigated with 4 parts oil until powder is
thoroughly wetted.
❑Then 2 parts water are added all at once, and mixture is vigorously
triturated until primary emulsion formed is creamy white and
produces "crackling" sound as it is triturated.
❑Active ingredients, preservatives, color, flavors are added as a
solution to primary emulsion.
❑When all agents have been incorporated, emulsion should be
transferred to a calibrated vessel, brought to final volume with
water.
1. DRY GUM Method - example
2. Wet Gum Method
❑(Oil 4 parts + Water 2 parts + Emulsifier 1 parts)
Procedure:
❑Proportions of oil, water, and emulsifier are same (4:2:1), but order
and techniques of mixing are different.
❑1 part gum is triturated with 2 parts water to form a mucilage; then
4 parts oil is added slowly, in portions, while triturating.
❑After all oil is added, mixture is triturated for several minutes to
form primary emulsion.
❑Then other ingredients may be added as in the continental method.
 Can we use wet and dry gum methods
for volatile oils?

YES OR NO

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3. Bottle Method
❑This method may be used to prepare emulsions of volatile oils,
Oleaginous substances of very low viscosities.
❑This method is variation of dry gum method.
❑One part powdered acacia (or other gum) is placed in dry bottle
and four parts oil are added.
❑Bottle is capped and thoroughly shaken.
❑To this, required volume of water is added all at once, and mixture
is shaken thoroughly until primary emulsion forms.
4. Beaker Method
❑The most appropriate method.
❑Dividing components into water soluble and oil soluble components
❑All oil soluble and water-soluble components are dissolved in oily
and water in separate beakers, respectively
❑Oleaginous components are melted and both phases are heated to
approximately 70°C over water bath.
❑Internal phase is then added to external phase with stirring
until product reaches room temperature.
Stability Issues
❑Emulsions are, by nature, physically unstable; that is, they tend to
separate into two distinct phases or layers over time.
❑Creaming occurs when dispersed oil droplets merge and rise to top
of an o/w emulsion or settle to bottom in w/o emulsions. In both
cases, emulsion can be easily redispersed by shaking.
❑Coalescence (breaking or cracking) is complete and irreversible
separation and fusion of dispersed phase.
❑Phase inversion or a change from w/o to o/w (or vice versa) may
occur
❑Addition of Electrolyte: Addition of CaCl2 into O/W emulsion
formed by sodium stearate will be inverted into W/O.
 Stability
Issues

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Thank You – Your Questions?

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