Anti-delamination additives: the "secret weapon" for stabilizing multiphase systems
In daily life, we often encounter such troubles: opening a bottle of long-standing emulsion and finding that
the water and oil are separated; the prepared paint precipitates before painting, affecting the painting effect;
or after some food sauces are left to stand, the oil layer and the sauce body "part ways". These phenomena
not only affect the appearance of the product, but may also reduce its performance and user experience.
Anti-delamination additives are the "secret weapon" to solve these problems. It uses scientific means to
keep multiphase systems (such as oil-water mixtures, suspensions, etc.) stable for a long time, bringing
significant advantages to various industries.
1. The core advantages of anti-delamination additives
Extend product shelf life and reduce waste
In the fields of food, cosmetics, coatings, etc., delamination or precipitation can cause product failure or
performance degradation. For example, a bottle of emulsion after delamination may deteriorate due to
the growth of microorganisms, and anti-delamination additives significantly extend the shelf life of the
product by stabilizing the system structure. Taking a certain brand of emulsion as an example, after
adding anti-delamination additives, its shelf life is extended from 6 months to 18 months, which directly
reduces the scrap rate caused by deterioration.
Improve product performance and consistency
In industrial applications, anti-delamination additives can ensure that the components in the formula are
evenly distributed. For example, in pesticide suspensions, additives can prevent the precipitation of active
ingredients, ensure the stability of the liquid concentration, and avoid pesticide damage or failure due to
excessive local concentration or too low concentration. In the paint industry, anti-delamination additives
make the pigment particles evenly suspended, and the wall color is more uniform after painting, and the
covering power is stronger.
Simplify the production process and reduce costs
In traditional processes, frequent stirring or formula adjustment is required to prevent stratification, while
anti-delamination additives can reduce such operations. For example, after a food factory introduced
additives in the production of sauces, the stirring time was shortened by 30%, the energy consumption
was reduced by 15%, and the rework cost caused by stratification was reduced.
Enhance user experience and expand application scenarios
In the field of cosmetics, anti-delamination additives make the emulsion texture more delicate and easy to
apply, and improve the feeling of use. For example, after adding additives to a sunscreen, the stability of the
oil-water phase is improved, there is no "mud rubbing" phenomenon when applying, and user satisfaction
is significantly improved. In industrial lubricants, additives can prevent oil-water separation and ensure that
the equipment can still operate stably in a humid environment.
2. The working principle of anti-stratification additives
The core function of anti-stratification additives is to break the unstable factors of multiphase systems. Its
mechanism of action can be summarized into the following three categories:
Interface regulation: reduce surface tension and build a "protective film"
Additive molecules have a hydrophilic-lipophilic amphiphilic structure and can be adsorbed on the oil-water
interface to reduce interfacial tension and prevent oil droplets or particles from aggregating. For example,
in emulsions, additive molecules form a "molecular film" on the surface of oil droplets, which prevents oil
droplets from colliding and merging through steric hindrance, thereby delaying stratification.
Viscosity regulation: increase the "internal resistance" of the system
Some additives (such as high molecular polymers) can significantly increase the viscosity of the system and
reduce the relative movement speed between components. For example, after adding thickening additives
to paint, the sedimentation rate of pigment particles slows down and the stability of the system is improved.
Charge regulation: stabilize the system using electrostatic repulsion
Some additives can charge the surface of particles and prevent particle aggregation through electrostatic
repulsion. For example, in ceramic slurries, additives make the surface of particles negatively charged, repel each
other to form a stable suspension, and avoid the formation of hard precipitation.
3. "Cross-border" application of anti-stratification additives
The advantages of anti-stratification additives have penetrated into many fields and become a "catalyst" for
industry innovation:
Food industry: double guarantee of taste and quality
In foods such as salad dressings and chocolate sauces, additives can prevent oil-water separation and keep the
texture smooth. For example, after adding natural emulsifying additives to a certain brand of chocolate sauce,
it still has no stratification after refrigeration for 3 months, and the taste is more delicate, and the consumer
repurchase rate has increased by 20%.
Medical field: "Guardian" of drug stability
In injections, suspensions and other drugs, additives can prevent the precipitation or crystallization of active
ingredients. For example, a certain anti-cancer drug suspension has achieved uniform dispersion of drug particles
by adding anti-stratification additives, ensuring accurate dosage of each injection and more stable efficacy.
New energy materials: the key to improving battery performance
In lithium battery electrolytes, additives can prevent lithium salt precipitation and improve ion conduction efficiency.
A research team found that after adding specific additives, the battery cycle life was extended by 30%, and the
low-temperature performance was significantly improved, providing technical support for the endurance of electric vehicles.
Environmental protection field: efficient assistant for sewage treatment
In the oil-water separation process, additives can promote the coagulation of emulsified oil droplets and accelerate oil-water
separation. For example, after a chemical plant used a flocculant containing an anti-stratification additive, the sewage
treatment efficiency was increased by 40%, and the oil removal rate reached more than 99%.
4. How to choose an anti-stratification additive?
The performance requirements of additives in different scenarios vary significantly. The following factors need to be
considered comprehensively when selecting:
System compatibility: matching the physical and chemical environment
Additives need to be selected according to the pH value, temperature, ionic strength and other conditions of the system.
For example, in strongly acidic food sauces, acid-resistant additives need to be selected; while in high-temperature coatings,
varieties with good thermal stability need to be selected.
Functional requirements: customized solutions
If a system needs to be quickly stabilized, viscosity-adjusting additives can be used; if long-term storage stability is required,
surface-active additives are preferred. For example, a cosmetics brand developed a composite additive that combines rapid
dispersion and long-term stability for the high temperature environment in summer, and the product complaint rate dropped
by 60%.
Safety and environmental protection: Compliance is the bottom line
In the fields of food, medicine, etc., additives must comply with relevant regulations (such as FDA, EU REACH). For example,
a natural additive uses plant oil as raw material, with a biodegradation rate of more than 95%, making it the preferred choice
for environmentally friendly coatings.
Cost-effectiveness: balancing performance and price
It is necessary to comprehensively evaluate the unit price, dosage and improvement of production efficiency of additives.
For example, an industrial lubricant shortens the stirring time from 2 hours to 30 minutes by adding low-cost additives,
saving more than 500,000 yuan in electricity bills annually.
Conclusion:
Anti-delamination additives - the "invisible engine" of future innovation
From a bottle of stable emulsion to an electric car with a longer range, anti-delamination additives are changing our lives
in a "silent" way. With breakthroughs in nanotechnology, biosynthesis and other fields, the performance of additives will be
further improved in the future, and the application scenarios will be more extensive. For example, scientists are developing
intelligent additives that respond to temperature and pH changes to achieve "on-demand regulation" of system stability.
It can be foreseen that anti-stratification additives will become an "invisible engine" to promote high-quality development
of various industries and create a better future for mankind.
