The HLB System
Systematic method for selecting the most
effective nonionic emulsifier(s) for any given
application
The number, the system, the concept
Presentation Outline
• System history
• HLB definition
• Emulsion types
• Three-step surfactant selection method
• HLB requirement determination
• System flexibility
• Summary
History of the HLB System
• HLB stands for
Hydrophile Lipophile Balance
water compatibility oil compatibility Ratio
• System invented 60 years ago
– William C. Griffin
– Atlas Powder Company
• Developed for use with nonionic surfactants
Defining the HLB System
• All nonionic surfactants have an HLB Value
– the higher the number, the more hydrophilic
– the lower the number, the more lipophilic
• Emulsified oils and emulsion applications have
very specific HLB Requirements
• Matching HLB requirement with surfactant
HLB value yields optimum performance
Determining HLB Values
• Molecular weight percent of hydrophilic portion
in a given nonionic surfactant, divided by 5
– HLB range between 1 and 20
• 60% hydrophilic
– HLB = 60/5 = 12
Hydrophilic group Hydrophobic group
O
MW = 600 MW = 400
O O O O
HO O O O O
HLB Values
How can surfactants have such a wide
range of HLB values?
HLB values of nonionic surfactants range from 1 to 20.
water-loving High HLB (10-20)
end of surfactants have a
molecule larger water loving
oil-loving end, and smaller
end of
oil-loving end
molecule
Low HLB (1-10)
surfactants have a water-loving
larger oil-loving end of
end, and smaller molecule oil-loving end of molecule
water-loving end
HLB Values And Blending
• HLB value for surfactant blend
– Weighted average of the HLBs of blended surfactants
– 50 / 50 blend of HLB 4 and HLB 16 = HLB 10
• The HLB requirement of oil blend
– Weighted average of the HLB requirements of blend
components
– 50 / 50 blend of Requirement 10 oil and Requirement
14 ester yields Requirement 12 ester
Emulsion Types
• Oil-in-water (o/w) MILK
– the continuous phase is
water
– dispersed oil droplets
– med / high HLB
requirement
• Water-in-oil (w/o) invert
– the continuous phase is oil HAND CREAM
– dispersed water droplets
– low HLB requirement
How to Choose an Emulsifier
• Literally thousands of choices for the formulator
• Usual choice is the “favorite”
• Narrow choice and expedite selection using the HLB
system
• Saves time and money
• Leads to best emulsifiers for the application
The Three Step System
1. HLB requirement of oil
2. Most effective surfactant chemistry
3. Surfactant concentration required to achieve
desired stability or rheology
Required HLB’s are accurate to ±0.5 HLB
units
How to Determine a Required HLB
• Prepare seven simple emulsions, using
– the same amount of oil and surfactant concentration
– an HLB value progression
– the same amount of water and mixing
• Observe which emulsion appears to be the most stable
• The HLB value of the surfactant used in the most stable emulsion
is the required HLB for the system
Determining HLB Requirement
HLB Span 80 Tween 80
4 100%
6 83% 17%
8 65% 35%
10 46% 54%
12 28% 72%
14 9% 91%
15 100%
Determine the Required HLB
4 6 8 10 12 14
Use applicable water hardness, pH and temp.
Determine the Required HLB
HLB 11 HLB 12 HLB 13
Select the Chemistry
Determine the Concentration
---- ----
Surf A Surf B Surf C Surf C Surf C
15% 15% 15% 8% 4%
---
All surfactants: HLB = 12
Optimizing Your Emulsion
How Stability of Your Emulsion Is Affected by
HLB and Concentration of Emulsifier
10
9
HLB 12
8
Surf C HLB 12
7
Surf A
Stability
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
% Concentration of Emulsifier
Invert Emulsion Experiment
±0.5 HLB Unit Accuracy
HLB 6 HLB 5
4% surfactant 9% surfactant
Matching HLB Values to Application
Requirements
Surfactant HLB Requirements
Compatibilizing Dissimilar Oils 1–3
Water-in-oil emulsions (Inverts) 4–6
Wetting Powders into Oils 7–9
Oil-in-Water Emulsions 8 – 12
Detergent Solutions 13 - 15
Examples of HLB Requirements for
O/W Emulsions
Class Required HLB
Vegetable oil family 6
Silicone oils 8 - 12
Petroleum oils & waxes 9 - 11
Fatty acids and alcohols 14 - 15
Resins 16 - 18
A Personal Experience
• Morning
– Taking a “shortcut”
– 3 hours of work, 100% failure
• Afternoon
– Utilizing HLB system
– 1 hour of work, 100% success
HLB System Flexibility – The Concept
• All components must be added to the oil
before the HLB requirement can be
determined
– Biocide package
– Anionic emulsifiers
– Functional additives
HLB System Flexibility – The Concept
• Surfactant Pivot Pair
– Identify the high HLB surfactant and low HLB
surfactant
– Adjust blend ratios to establish stability
Anionic HLB Values
• Apparent anionic HLB values
• When used in combination with nonionics,
they function as if
TEA Oleate HLB 12
Sodium Oleate HLB 18
Potassium Oleate HLB 20
Petroleum Sulfonates HLB 4 / 7
HLB & Water Dispersibility Relationships
HLB Dispersibility
1–4 No dispersibility
3–6 Poor dispersibility
6–8 Milky after shake
8 – 10 Stable, milky dispersion
10 – 13 Translucent to clear
13+ Clear solution
Summary
• HLB System predicts how oils and surfactants will likely
interact
• Surfactants have HLB values
• Oils and systems have HLB requirements
• Matching surfactant HLB value with HLB requirement will
yield optimum cost and performance
• Two opportunities to optimize performance and cost
Required HLB’s are accurate to ± 0.5 HLB units
In Conclusion
Many formulators don’t think too much
about the science behind the HLB System,
they just use it because it works.
HLB Book & Kit
Please Wait
• We thank you for your patience as we
transition to the Q&A portion of this e-
seminar
