This study addresses the emulsion stability of tripropylene glycol diacrylate (TPGDA) in water. Generally, the oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion is incompatible and tends to separate to an oil and water layer due to the difference in density of both oil and water. This could lead to the occurrence of flocculation and coalescence. However, the emulsion can be controlled with the presence of the right amount of stabilizers such as surfactants (emulsifiers). The emulsion stability of TPGDA emulsion in the presence of Tween 20 (Tw-20) as a surfactant was studied with respect to its concentration effect ranging between 0.1 wt% to 3 wt%. The emulsion was monitored over time by phase separation and creaming index, and later characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and optical microscope. The results showed that the 0.4 wt% surfactant concentration of Tw-20 is the optimum parameter with the longest stability of 24 hours and a creaming index of 0%, which is enough for an ideal emulsion. The strong band observed at 1632 cm-1 due to the C=C band as well as the absorbance peak at 1723 cm-1 indicated the presence of characterized peaks of C=O band from the acrylate group. The FTIR spectra displayed the interaction of TPGDA and Tw-20, proving that the emulsion is fully mixed and stabilized. The optical microscopy microstructure also showed a supporting result of no droplet aggregation and flocculation in the TPGDA emulsion with the presence of 0.4% of Tw-20 surfactant. This information about Tw-20 is useful, making it a promising surfactant for enhancing the creaming stability of the TPGDA emulsion.
