Study of Pickering emulsions stabilized by mixed particles of silica and calcite

Pickering emulsions were prepared using mixed particles of silica and calcite as emulsifiers. The effects of the silica content in the mixed particles on the stability and the drop size of the Pickering emulsions were investigated. The results showed that the Pickering emulsions were of the oil-in-water type. With increasing silica content in the mixed particles, the stability and the drop size of the Pickering emulsions decreased. Larger silica particles had more influence on the stability of the emulsions, while smaller ones had more influence on the drop size of the emulsions. The effect of the silica particles on the emulsions was attributed to their adsorptive behavior at the oil–water interfaces of the Pickering emulsions.