Droplet structure instability in concentrated emulsions

Dynamic rheological measurements are reported on concentrated emulsions of monodispersed sodium dodecyl sulfate-stabilized polydimethylsiloxane droplets with different cross-linking levels (i.e., controllable deformability and either viscous or viscoelastic) and over a volume fraction range 0.5 to 0.72. Emulsion structure instability is revealed at a volume fraction of 0.7 and is represented by an anomalously low G′/G″G′/G″ crossover stain, γcoγco (G′G′, elastic modulus; G″G″, viscous modulus). This phenomenon is independent of the droplet cross-linking level and not observable for hard-sphere silica sols of volume fractions from 0.54 to 0.63. It is suggested that the structural instability arises from deformation-induced formation of “slip planes” between droplet layers specific to the repulsive droplets at the specific volume fraction, which may be dependent on the droplet packing configurations for the given polydispersity of the system. The γcoγco value may be considered as an in situ index of the structural stability and interdroplet interaction balance in concentrated emulsions.

Graphical abstractDynamic rheological studies on concentrated emulsions of monodispersed PDMS droplets have identified specific regions of droplet structural instability.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide