11. Conclusions and outlook

Given the unique properties of emulsions, their dominant role in the formulation industries (food, cosmetics...) and the demand for increasingly sophisticated products, subject to very strict specifications, it is essential to master the phenomena involved in emulsification in order to optimize operating conditions. One problem is the disparity between the (thermodynamic) energy theoretically required to increase the interfacial area and the energy actually consumed. Although we now have a fairly good understanding of the mechanisms involved in emulsion production, it remains difficult to predict with any certainty the exact outcome of an emulsification process: indeed, this requires us to consider the entire chain, from product development through to the industrial manufacturing or even packaging stage, combining the influence of formulation variables with that of process variables. The...