(607g) Effect of Interfacial Rheology on the Morphology of Polymerized High Internal Phase Emulsions

High internal phase emulsions (HIPEs) are obtained when the volume fraction of the internal phase exceeds 74%. Polymerized high internal phase emulsions (polyHIPEs) are porous polymers formed through the polymerization of monomers incorporated in the external phase of HIPEs. The structure and properties of polyHIPEs significantly depend on the properties of the primary HIPEs, such as stability and interfacial properties. Surfactants play an important role in the enhancement of the HIPEs stability due to the reduction of interfacial tension. Moreover, the stability of HIPEs is related to the viscoelastic properties of the interface. In the present work, different surfactant systems are employed to prepare the polyHIPEs. The interfacial properties are investigated by performing the rheological experiments at the interface of the aqueous and oil phases. We evaluate the effect of interfacial rheology and interfacial tension on the stability of HIPEs and morphology of final polyHIPEs in terms of void size and interconnectivity of voids.