Hydrophilic lipophilic equilibrium value of surfactant

HLB is the abbreviation of hydrophile lipophile balance, which indicates the hydrophilic and lipophile balance value of the surfactant, that is, the HLB value of the surfactant. High HLB value indicates strong hydrophilicity and weak lipophilicity. On the contrary, oleophilicity is strong and hydrophilicity is weak.

The HLB value is specified

The HLB value is a relative value, so when formulating the HLB value, as a standard, the HLB value of paraffin wax without hydrophilic energy is 0, and the HLB value of sodium dodecyl sulfate with strong water solubility is 40. Therefore, the HLB value of the surfactant is generally within the range of 1 to 40. In general, an emulsifier with an HLB of less than 10 is a lipophilic, while an emulsifier with an HLB of more than 10 is a hydrophilic. Therefore, the turning point from lipophilic to hydrophilic is about 10.

Based on the HLB value of a surfactant, a rough idea of its possible uses can be obtained, as shown in the table below.

HLB range and its application performance

HLB value

use

HLB value

use

1.5 ~ 3

W/O type defoamer

8 ~ 18

O/W emulsifier

3.5 ~ 6

W/O emulsifier

13 ~ 15

abluent

7 to 9

Wetting agent

15 ~ 18

solubilizer

It can be seen from the above table that the HLB value of surfactants suitable for water-in-oil emulsifiers ranges from 3.5 to 6, while that of oil-in-water emulsifiers ranges from 8 to 18.