i measured the surface tension of emulsifier A and emulsifier B at the same concentrations. emulsifier A had a lower surface tension value than emulsifier B. does that mean that emulsifier A is a better emulsifier than emulsifier B due to its lower surface tension ? can emulsifier efficiency effect the rate of polymerization ?
If surface tension was all that mattered, the surfactant industry would be reduced to two companies, each in a constant battle to see who could produce the surfactant with the lowest surface tension. Even HLB as a lone metric is insufficient.
Surface tension does not equal emulsification. There are a huge amount of variables, enough for a lifetime of study. What are you emulsifying? O/W I presume, or is it W/O, or maybe even W/O/W? Are you aware that temperature can play a huge role in this, in wonderfully horrible ways? Emulsifiers can have a huge impact on polymerization as they can limit monomer diffusion into the reactive micelles.
This is an area of science/technology where you are better off copying what someone else has already done, rather than inventing your own.
John Aspen Research, -
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