Cationic Emulsions Explained
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ScribdTranslationsCationic Emulsions Explained
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ScribdTranslationsCATIONIC EMULSIONS
Emulsion: A more or less stabilized fine dispersion of one liquid in another, which...
are not miscible with each other and are bound by an emulsifier.
Emulsions are systems formed by two phases that are partially or totally immiscible, in
where one forms the so-called continuous phase (or dispersing) and the other the discrete phase (or
dispersed)1
Emulsifier: Emulsifiers are organic compounds of molecular weight
relatively high (between 100 and 300); they have a hydrophobic part (it is generally
a hydrocarbon chain, whether linear or cyclic, that is soluble in the organic medium
(asphalt) and a hydrophilic part (usually it is a polar group of organic type or
inorganic), soluble in the aqueous medium.2
Classification:
Anionic surfactants are generally good foaming agents, they are the most cleansing, for
so, also the most aggressive.
Cationics are not good detergents or foamers, they are good antimicrobials.
Humectants and conditioners are properties that give them their positive charge.
The non-ionic ones are mild and less aggressive, they are more conditioning.
Amphoterics can behave as an anionic or cationic depending on the pH.
from the middle.
Emulsifiers are generally composed of an alkyl radical R which is
hydrophobic and a hydrophilic component, which are saponified and with the
Contact with water dissociates, remaining with negative or positive charges depending on the type.
of emulsifier.1
Source: Mexican Institute of Transport
The type of emulsifier defines the type of emulsion: anionic emulsifiers have
acidic groups in their hydrophilic part, with a negative electric charge; these have as
general formula: R-COONa.
Cationic emulsifiers are generally charged amino groups.
positive and with general formula R-NH3Cl. When this type of emulsifiers act in a
in aqueous medium it dissociates resulting in:
R-NH3Cl ---> R-NH3 + Cl
And the amino group NH3+ goes to the hydrophilic part, while the alkyl radical R goes to the
it remains in the hydrophobic part.
Emulsifiers are those that, once the emulsion is produced, are mostly located in it.
interface. Its hydrophobic part faces the asphalt and its polar part faces the water.
With these ionic emulsifiers, the particles acquire electric charges from the emulsifiers.
sign, repelling each other and stabilizing the system.
The emulsifiers that have a positive charge are called cationic.
They are mainly diamines and fatty polyamines (in some cases, they are also used
imidazolines or fatty amido-amines) and quaternary ammonium salts, saltified in the
in the vast majority of cases with hydrochloric acid.
Asphalt Emulsions: In the case of asphalt emulsions, the immiscible liquids
they are the water and the asphalt. Additionally, there is the emulsifier which is deposited in the
interface between the water and the asphalt and stabilizes the emulsion. Initially, they were used
anionic emulsions for road construction, then they appear
Cationics' initial application in road construction coincided with the emergence
of new surfactant chemical products in the market Recognizing the advantage of
the cationic emulsions over the anionic ones and the reduced ones, the search for a began
emulsifier that produced a slow-breaking emulsion.1
Like emulsifiers, these emulsions are classified according to the type of
used emulsifier. In this case, we can talk about two types, anionic and cationic:
Anionic Emulsions: In this type of emulsions, the emulsifying agent gives it
a negative polarity to the globules, meaning that they acquire a negative charge.
Cationic Emulsions: In this type of emulsions, the emulsifying agent imparts
a positive polarity to the globules, meaning that they acquire a positive charge.1
In cationic emulsions, the asphalt particles are positively charged.
therefore affinity for negatively charged bodies. The emulsifiers that produce them
Its quaternary ammonium salts, such as cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide, which forms
a bromine anion and a cation that is the trimethyl cetyl ammonium radical charged
positively surrounding the bitumen particles and adhering very easily to
theaggregatesthat present a weak negative charge.4
Cationic Emulsions are called that way because, unlike what happens with
anionic emulsions, the asphalt globules move towards the cathode when they
Two electrodes are submerged in it and an electric current is passed through. They present, for
Thus, positive electric charges have a good affinity with stone materials.
electronegatives, such as those of silicious nature (quartz).4
The emulsifier in this case is an electrolyte, generally consisting of an amine salt.
the quaternary ammonium, which results from the action of a mineral acid (hydrochloric, nitric,
acetic, etc.), on the fatty amine. The general formula for this type of soap is,
example:
In which R' represents the characteristic organic chain of the amine and constitutes the part
non-polar part of the molecule, which has affinity with asphalt. The other part of it
The molecule (NH3Cl) is the polar part with an affinity for water.
When dissolved in water, this emulsifier ionizes: the chlorine atom (Cl)
the anion (-) and the rest of the molecule (R'NH3) constitute the cation (+).
When the asphalt is dispersed in this solution, the cations (R'NH3) are absorbed by
the asphalt globules, due to the affinity of R' for the hydrocarbon binder. These
Cations form a coating around each asphalt globule, coating
consequently loaded in a positive way, the opposite of what happens in the case of
the anionic emulsion. The anions (Cl), absorbed by the water, constitute a second
wrapping around the first.4
The stability of cationic emulsions is ensured by repulsion.
electrostatics of asphalt globules, which are surrounded by ions of the same
(positive) sign.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
1. Mexican Institute of Transportation. (Internet). Mexico: IMT; 2001 (Consult the
May 25, 2018). Available at:
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2. ATEB. (Internet). Mexico: ATEB; 2015 (Consulted on May 25, 2018).
Available in:
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U_PHYSICAL-[Link]
3. AROMAKIT. (Internet). Madrid: AROMAKIT; 2017 (Consulted on May 25
from 2018). Available at:
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what-leaf-part-1/
4. University of Sonora. (Internet). Mexico: USON; 2012 (Consulted on May 25
of 2018). Available en:
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