Impact of wax particles on crystallization and stability of melt emulsions

Shelf-life and crystallization of the dispersed phases of organic melt emulsions are highly influenced by the composition of the emulsion itself. In literature, it is discussed that chemical similarity between the surfactants’ hydrophobic group and the dispersed phase triggers crystallization. This work focuses on the possible effect of foreign gems, such as waxes, on the crystallization of droplets as they may act as active nucleation clusters (ANC) and may also trigger nucleation. ANCs with similar polarity to the dispersed phase were shown to accelerate the crystallization process as well as to lead to crystallization at lower supercooling, which could enable a more sustainable emulsion production as less energy is needed for cooling. Moreover, the same ANCs which increased crystallization speed were shown to improve the storage stability of an organic oil-in-water emulsion.