D8 and D9- Medicine design and manufacturing (emulsions, creams and ointments) Flashcards
what is an emulsion?
A liquid medicine in which one insoluble liquid is
dispersed as microscopic globules in another
liquid (the two liquids are ‘immiscible’)
what is the external or continuous phase in an emulsion?
liquid vehicle
what is the internal or dispersed phase in an emulsion?
droplets- there is Molecular film of emulsifying
agent(s) at the oil/water interface
what are the different types of emulsion?
-o/w ‘Oil in Water’: Milky white
-w/o ‘Water in Oil’: Translucent
-w/o/w and o/w/o multiple emulsions: Droplets within
the droplets
pictures on one note!
what types of oils are used in emulsions?
natural oils, mineral oils, volatile oils
Describe natural oils
Triglycerides- e.g Vegetable oils (sunflower, olive, sesame)
Fish oil (cod liver oil)
Describe mineral oils
Hydrocarbons
(petroleum industry)- e.g Liquid paraffin
Describe volatile oils
Complex mixtures- e.g Plant oils- used as flavour and aromas (peppermint,
lemon)
what is the issue with emulsions?
-stability
-two liquids separate- emulsions are physically unstable. creaming and cracking occur (one note for diagram)
what is creaming?
Droplets coalesce
Oil collect near surface
what is cracking?
complete phase separation
how to prevent creaming and cracking through droplet size?
-Small droplets = more stable.
-Industry uses high shear mixers for small droplets
-Shelf-life: up to 2 years
Impossible with hand-made emulsions!
-Shelf-life: very short!
how to prevent cracking and creaming through temperature?
-High risk if exposed to heat or temperature
fluctuations
→ Label: ‘Store in a cool place’
Freezing/thawing causes rapid separation (crystals)
→ Label: ‘Do not freeze’
which kind of emulsion is more stable
o/w more stable than w/o (immediate cracking with w/o)
are creams or liquid emulsions more stable?
creams
what are Emulsifiers
(surfactants)?
‘surface active’ long molecules that locate at
the oil-water interface
what are emulsifiers? (structure?)
-amphiphiles
-a hydrophilic head and hydrophobic tail
-position themselves at interfaces (diagram on one note)