Micro-emulsion: Dispersion made of water, oil, and surfactant(s) that is an
isotropic and thermodynamically stable system with dispersed domain diameter varying
approximately from 1 to 100 nm, usually 10 to 50 nm.
Note 1: In a micro-emulsion the domains of the dispersed phase are either globular
or interconnected (to give a bicontinuous micro-emulsion).
Note 2: The average diameter of droplets in macro-emulsion (usually referred to as an
“emulsion”) is close to one millimeter (i.e., 10–3 m). Therefore, since micro- means 10–6
and emulsion implies that droplets of the dispersed phase have diameters close to 10–3 m,
the micro-emulsion denotes a system with the size range of the dispersed phase in the
10–6 × 10–3 m = 10–9 m range.
Note 3: The term “micro-emulsion” has come to take on special meaning. Entities of
the dispersed phase are usually stabilized by surfactant and/or surfactant-cosurfactant
(e.g., aliphatic alcohol) systems.
Note 4: The term “oil” refers to any water-insoluble liquid.[1]
Micro-emulsion polymerization: Emulsion polymerization in which the starting system
is a micro-emulsion and the final latex comprises colloidal particles of polymer dispersed
in an aqueous medium.
surfactantsandmicroemulsions 