This course is primarily designed for PhD students in Food technology and Pharmaceutical technology, Physical chemistry, Nano technology, and Bio-interfaces, and related disciplines.
Topics
- Colloidal Particles at Liquid Interfaces
- Similarities and differences between particles, polymers, proteins and low molecular weight surfactants
- Emulsion characterization and stability
- Sources and production of particles
- Emulsification processes in the context of Pickering emulsions
- Products and Applications
Teaching and Learning Activities
- Lectures and seminars
- Directed Reading
- Laboratory assignment and problem sets
Particles stabilized emulsions, so called Pickering emulsions, are known to possess many beneficial properties including being quite stable due to their solid particles adsorbed at the interface between the two immiscible phases (oil and water). Lately, the use of particles to stabilize emulsions has attracted substantial research interest due to their distinctive characteristics and potential technological applications; they display long-term stability, even with large droplet sizes, without the addition of surfactants. Pickering type emulsion system may have applications beyond that of food, for example in the paper, cosmetic, paint industries and for pharmaceutical drug formulations for both topical and oral delivery.
The course includes physicochemical description of Pickering emulsions, their colloidal properties in the context of food and pharmaceutical products, the study of the changes that occur during the process, the engineering knowledge needed to design processes and systems and the relationships between structure, chemistry and consumer perceived quality characteristics.