An Interfacial Study of Sucrose Ester-Stabilized Water-Free Foams

Sucrose esters are biodegradable surfactants widely used in the food and cosmetic industries due to their vast range of hydrophilic to lipophilic balance (HLB) values. However, their application has mostly been reported in aqueous media. With the rising demand for water-free products, a gap in the literature exists with regards to water-free colloids stabilized by sucrose esters. In particular, only two articles exist on sucrose esterstabilized water-free foams, or oleofoams. This article explores for the first time the effects of sucrose ester HLB value on the physical properties of foams. The effects of oil triglyceride content on foamability were studied. The results showed that higher temperatures (90-100 °C) were needed to solubilize more hydrophilic sucrose esters, and these rendered the most encapsulated air (up to 62%) due to their high monoester content (>50%). Surface tension results also showed that the more hydrophilic sucrose esters reduced the oil/air surface tension the most. Regarding the oil triglyceride profile, results showed that with longer fatty acid chains, more air was incorporated into the foam. Sucrose esters have important untapped potential for use in the formation and stabilization of water-free foams.