A fluid
colloidal system in which liquid droplets and/or liquid crystals are dispersed in a liquid. The droplets often exceed the usual limits for
colloids in size. An emulsion is denoted by the symbol O/W if the continuous phase is an aqueous solution and by W/O if the continuous phase is an organic liquid (an '
oil'). More complicated emulsions such as O/W/O (i.e. oil droplets contained within aqueous droplets dispersed in a continuous oil phase) are also possible. Photographic emulsions, although
colloidal systems, are not emulsions in the sense of this nomenclature.
Source:
PAC, 1972, 31, 577
(Manual of Symbols and Terminology for Physicochemical Quantities and Units, Appendix II: Definitions, Terminology and Symbols in Colloid and Surface Chemistry)
on page 606
Cite as:
IUPAC. Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. (the "Gold Book"). Compiled by A. D. McNaught and A. Wilkinson. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford (1997). XML on-line corrected version: http://goldbook.iupac.org (2006-) created by M. Nic, J. Jirat, B. Kosata; updates compiled by A. Jenkins. ISBN 0-9678550-9-8.
doi:10.1351/goldbook.
