Fabrication of Nanoemulsions by Ultrasonication

Ultrasonication is one of the most efficient high-energy homogenization techniques currently used to produce nanoemulsions (NEs). Some of the potential advantages of ultrasonic homogenizers for commercial applications are their ability to produce small droplets, their relatively low operating costs, their relatively low energy consumption, their ease of cleaning, and their potential for aseptic processing. The cavitation forces produced by high-intensity ultrasonic waves lead to the formation of microbubbles in the liquids that oscillate rapidly and eventually implode, thereby generating intense disruptive forces that lead to the formation of small emulsion droplets. Ultrasonic homogenizers can be used to produce NEs at the laboratory, pilot plant, or industrial scale. The present chapter provides an outline of recent advances in the application of ultrasonic homogenization, with an emphasis on the optimization of the equipment and operating conditions required to produce NEs.