Investigation on the Uniformity and Stability of Sunflower Oil/Water Emulsions Prepared by a Shirasu Porous Glass Membrane

Shirasu porous glass (SPG) membrane emulsification has many advantages over traditional emulsification methods of stirring, ultrasoubd, and homogenization. The main advantages are much improved uniform size distribution of the droplets and lower mechanical shear stress. This paper examines the uniformity and stability of sunflower oil emulsions prepared by SPG membrane. The effects of emulsifiers on the uniformity and stability of emulsions were investigated. Results showed that emulsions stabilized by Tween 20 are generally more uniform and stable compared to those stabilized by Tween 60. Emulsions prepared by membrane emulsification showed excellent uniformity and stability with no droplet size change after 6-months storage, while those prepared by the homogenizer have a much broad size distribution and are unstable after 7 days of storage with significant further broadening of the droplet size distribution by coalescence and Oswald ripening. Uniform-sized sunflower O/W emulsions prepared by the SPG membrane also have good thermal stability when subjected to either freezing or heating. The mechanical stability of sunflower O/W emulsions prepared by the SPG membrane can be further improved by adding thickeners to the aqueous phase. Therefore, SPG membrane emulsification is a promising method for preparing uniform and stable emulsions, which will have good potential applications in the food industry, in terms of improving shelf life and product quality.