Study on The Emulsion Stability of Tripropylene Glycol Diacrylate in Water

Abstract

Oil-in-water emulsion is thermodynamically unstable system that undergoes destabilization with time. The tripropylene glycol diacrylate (TPGDA) monomer which can potentially to increase the crosslink density of polymer blends is unstable in water due to its low water solubility properties. However, the stability of TPGDA emulsion could be improved by adding an adequate amount of surfactant. This study addresses the effect of different Tween 20 (surfactant) concentration on emulsion stability of TPGDA. Model emulsion ranging between 0.1 wt% to 3 wt% of Tween 20 and a control were prepared using heavy duty homogenizer. The emulsion was characterised by FTIR, microstructure analysis, phase separation observation and creaming index during storage time. Emulsion containing 0.4 wt% Tween 20 showed the longest stability at 24 hours and a creaming index of 0%, which is enough for an ideal emulsion. The FTIR spectra displayed the interaction of TPGDA and Tw-20, proving that the emulsion is fully mixed and stabilized. The results are further supported by optical microscopy, which observed no droplet aggregation and flocculation in the TPGDA emulsion with the presence of 0.4 wt% of Tw-20 surfactant. This information about Tw-20 is beneficial, making it a promising surfactant for enhancing the emulsion stability of the TPGDA emulsion.