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Different result (color) using homogenizer vs hand mixer
Hi, I have an emulsion formula that I prepared using a hand mixer.
Then i sent the same formula to a contract manufacturer and they produced the sample using a homogenizer.
Using hand mixer: the product is opaque white, thin viscosity emulsion (this is what i wanted)
Using homogenizer: the product is translucent white (grayish) with slightly thicker viscosity.I know that homogenizer can make the viscosity slightly thicker than using a mixer, but does it also make the color of the emulsion different?
This product does not contain any color pigments, just a normal o/w emulsion with water, cyclopentasiloxane, dimethicone, cetearyl alcohol, ceteareth-20, cetyl alcohol and aristoflex avc.
hope anyone here can share their experience. thanks in advance for sharing.
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4 Replies
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The white colour of emulsions isn’t actually white colour of the emulsion but kind of an optical illusion resulting from light being reflected and diffractioned in any which way by the inner phase. This means: droplet size is what gives ‘colour’ to the emulsion. Rough emulsions tend to have hints of the inner phase (>100 um), fine emulsions are white(maybe 5-50 um), very fine ones become opaque to translucent (<1 um), and ultrafine ones would be transparent (in the nm range). Droplet sizes are out of memory and approximations.
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Pharma said:The white colour of emulsions isn’t actually white colour of the emulsion but kind of an optical illusion resulting from light being reflected and diffractioned in any which way by the inner phase. This means: droplet size is what gives ‘colour’ to the emulsion. Rough emulsions tend to have hints of the inner phase (>100 um), fine emulsions are white(maybe 5-50 um), very fine ones become opaque to translucent (<1 um), and ultrafine ones would be transparent (in the nm range). Droplet sizes are out of memory and approximations.Thank you Pharma for the reply. Much appreciated. I’m trying to understand your explanation, so based on that, does this mean the homogenizer makes the product very fine that it becomes almost transparent? The target of this formula is a thin emulsion, it has only 1.5% total of cetearyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol & cetereth-20 with a bit of silicones.
and will increasing the % of silicones impact the color of emulsion?
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By preference, you should use the same production means for trial formulations as will be used for upscaling.
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Pharma said:By preference, you should use the same production means for trial formulations as will be used for upscaling.
Hi Pharma, I followed your advise and it worked. Trial formulations and upscale production using mixer, both give the same results.
Thank you
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