Low energy silicone emulsions with controlled particle size

Silicone oils are added to consumer goods products to provide, for example, softness, shine, and anti-wear benefits on a variety of substrates. These silicone oils are typically added as oil-in-water emulsions to facilitate the incorporation into water-based consumer products. The process of making such emulsions typically involves the use of high-energy process equipment to mechanically produce fine oil droplets that facilitate the incorporation process, product stability, and consistent performance throughout the shelf-life of the product. However, the use of high-energy processing conditions can impose scalability and processing challenges due to energy costs and expensive equipment. In addition, droplets produced via high-energy mechanical methods can also be more susceptible to microstructural transformation caused by interactions with other chemical components present in the finished product. A considerable saving in energy consumption and improvement in finished product stability is possible by implementing a more effective use of thermodynamic and chemical energy to enable a low-energy emulsification process easier to scale up commercially and that produces a more stable emulsion system. This presentation will show how this is possible by the careful selection of the surfactant type, formulation concentration, and stirring conditions using a phase inversion emulsification process.