Influence of Cellulose Nanocrystals and Surfactants on Catastrophic Phase Inversion and Stability of Emulsions

Abstract

This thesis presents the first quantitative comparison of catastrophic phase inversion in emulsions stabilized by nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) versus surfactants. NCC extends stability limits, raising the critical aqueous fraction from 0.253 to 0.545. Conversely, surfactants show non-monotonic behavior, delaying inversion at low concentrations and accelerating inversion at high concentrations. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of NCC in high-internal-phase systems, validating its potential as a robust, bio-based stabilizer for industrial applications.