Production of Nanoemulsions

Nanoemulsification is the process of creating nanoemulsions — ultra-fine oil-in-water or water-in-oil emulsions with droplet sizes typically below 500 nanometers. It requires high-energy input methods such as high-intensity ultrasonication to generate the shear forces needed to break oil droplets down to the nanoscale. ISM’s patented Barbell Horn® Ultrasonic Technology (BHUT) delivers the high acoustic cavitation intensities required for efficient, reproducible nanoemulsification at any operational scale.

Ultrasonic nanoemulsion production uses high-frequency sound waves to generate intense acoustic cavitation in a liquid mixture of oil, water, and surfactant. The cavitation produces microscopic bubble implosions that create extreme localized shear forces, breaking the oil phase into nanoscale droplets (typically 10–500 nm). ISM’s ultrasonic processors deliver these forces at amplitudes high enough for industrial-scale nanoemulsification — not just laboratory use.

ISM’s ultrasonic processors are used for nanoemulsion production across pharmaceutical (drug delivery, parenteral nutrition), medical cannabis (water-soluble CBD and THC), nutraceutical (vitamins, botanical extracts), cosmetic and dermatological (topical creams, serums), food and beverage (flavor encapsulation, fortified drinks), and industrial applications (paints, coatings, pesticides, adhesives).

Yes. ISM’s patented Barbell Horn® Ultrasonic Technology (BHUT) maintains the same high ultrasonic amplitudes and processing conditions at every scale — from the LSP-600 (lab, 15 mL–2 L) to the BSP-1200 (bench, 500 mL–unlimited) to the ISP-3600 (industrial, 1 L–unlimited). Any nanoemulsion formulation developed at lab scale transfers directly to production without re-optimization or loss of product quality.

Compared to high-pressure homogenization, and low-energy methods (phase inversion, spontaneous emulsification), ultrasonic nanoemulsification with ISM’s BHUT-based processors offers several advantages: lower surfactant concentrations required, simpler processing procedures, direct scalability from lab to industrial production, continuous in-line or batch operation, precise temperature control, and the ability to process high-viscosity and high-solids-content formulations that challenge other methods.