[blake_jl]

I am learning about emulsions for my long term project and came across some great information tonight that has had me stumped for quite a while.

The end product I am trying to make needs to be greasy and slick, like butter or margarine emulsions. The end product that my experimenting has made has always lacked this characteristic, coming out creamy and not oily at all. It had me stumped when I then tried to change the ratios of oil and water, making more and more oil with less water but the end result never really improved.

Tonight I found out about the BANCROFT RULE.

What the Bancroft rule states is that contrary to common sense, what makes an emulsion oil-in-water or water-in-oil is not the relative percentages of oil or water, but which phase the emulsifier is more soluble in. So even though there may be a formula that's 60% oil and 40% water, if the emulsifier chosen is more soluble in water, it will create an oil-in-water system.

So now I would like to know if anyone has experience using Croda Crill 6? This is the emulsifier I have been using. I am guessing it is more soluble in water than it is in oil but I would like someone to help me confirm this.

Thank you.

EDIT: Further reading I have found out Crill 6 is called Sorbitan Isostearate. Crill 3 is called Sorbitan Stearate. Sorbitan Stearate is apparently a water in oil emulsifier which is what I am looking for.

I am hoping that although Sorbitan Isostearate and Sorbitan Stearate sound very similar, that they actually are not because then I am back to where I started wondering why my water in oil emulsion isn't oily...