AbstractPickering emulsions (emulsions stabilized by solid-state additives) are attractive as they have strong similarities with traditional surfactant-based emulsions. In this study, an oil-in-water (O/W) paraffin Pickering emulsion system with satisfying stability and small droplet size distribution was developed by hydrophilic silica particles and traditional surfactants as mixed emulsifiers. The droplet morphology and size distribution were observed by optical microscopy and a laser particle analyzer. The emulsion stability was improved and the droplet size was reduced after addition of a suitable amount of silica particles. The silica concentration of 1% showed the optimal effect among all the levels observed (0.1, 0.5, 1 and 2%). Wood was impregnated with the prepared emulsion, and the chemical and morphological properties of the product were investigated by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) combined with energy-dispersed X-ray analysis (SEM-EDXA). Moreover, the hydrophobicity, thermal properties, surface hardness, axial compression strength (CS) and dynamic mechanical properties were tested. The silica was evenly distributed in the wood cell wall and thus there was a synergistic positive effect from the paraffin and silica in the cell wall leading to better hydrophobicity, improved surface hardness and mechanical properties including the thermal stability.
Structure and rheology during catastrophic phase inversion of Pickering emulsions stabilized with fumed silica particles