Hydrophile-Lipophile Balance Scale

Definition of Hydrophile-Lipophile Balance Scale

  • The HLB scale is a numerical system that indicates the balance between the hydrophilic and lipophilic portions of a surfactant molecule.
  • Scale Range: 0 (completely lipophilic) to 20 (completely hydrophilic).
  • Hydrophile-Lipophile Balance (HLB) Scale

Calculation of Hydrophile-Lipophile Balance Scale

  • For nonionic surfactants:
    • $\text{HLB} = 20 \times \frac{M_{\text{hydrophilic}}}{M_{\text{total}}}$
  • where:
    • is the molecular mass of the hydrophilic portion.
    • is the total molecular mass of the surfactant.
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Applications

  • Emulsion Type Determination:
    • O/W Emulsions: Surfactants with HLB values of 8-18.
    • W/O Emulsions: Surfactants with HLB values of 3-6.
  • Formulation Optimization: Selecting appropriate surfactants for desired properties.
  • Solubilizers and Detergents: High HLB surfactants are effective solubilizers.

Blending Surfactants

  • Surfactants can be blended to achieve a desired HLB value.
  • Equation:
    • $\text{HLB}_{\text{blend}} = f_A \times \text{HLB}_A + f_B \times \text{HLB}_B$
  • where:
    • fA​ and fB​ are the weight fractions of surfactants A and B.
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