P S Clegg, E M Herzig, A B Schofield, T S Horozov, B P Binks, M E Cates, and W CK Poon (2005)
Colloid-stabilized emulsions: behaviour as the interfacial tension is reduced
J. Phys.-Condensed Matter 17:S3433–S3438.
We present confocal microscopy studies of novel particle-
stabilized emulsions. The novelty arises because the
immiscible fluids have an accessible upper critical solution
temperature. The emulsions have been created by beginning
with particles dispersed in the single-fluid phase. On
cooling. regions of the minority phase nucleate. While
coarsening, these nuclei become coated with particles due to
the associated reduction in interfacial energy. The resulting
emulsion is arrested, and the particle-coated interfaces have
intriguing properties. Having made use of the binary-fluid
phase diagram to create the emulsion we then make use of it
to study the properties of the interfaces. As the emulsion is
re-heated toward the single-fluid phase the interfacial
tension falls and the volume of the dispersed phase drops.
Crumpling, fracture or coalescence can follow. The results
show that the elasticity of the interfaces has a controlling
influence over the emulsion behaviour.