what is hlb

HLB stands for Hydrophilic-Lipophilic Balance, which is a measure of the degree of hydrophilicity or lipophilicity of a surfactant molecule. It is determined by calculating percentages of molecular weights for the hydrophilic and lipophilic portions of the surfactant molecule. The HLB value can be used to predict the surfactant properties of a molecule, and it ranges from 0 to 20. An HLB value of 0 corresponds to a completely lipophilic/hydrophobic molecule, and a value of 20 corresponds to a completely hydrophilic/lipophobic molecule. The HLB value can be used to determine the most effective surfactant chemistry for a given application. The HLB system enables assigning a HLB value to a surfactant and a HLB requirement to the application for that surfactant. Properly matching these values helps develop formulations. The HLB value can be used to classify surfactants based on their properties and uses.