Review Implementing the hydrophilic–lipophilic deviation model when formulating detergents and other surfactant-related applications

Jul 6, 2026

Hydrophilic–lipophilic deviation (HLD) is presented as a practical framework for designing surfactant formulations that use ionic and nonionic surfactants. Compared with extensive microemulsion phase-behavior studies, HLD reduces the number of experiments needed by capturing surfactant–oil interaction through empirical parameters. Detergency tests show an optimal HLD range for a given fabric surface, with evidence that the approach can translate to enhanced oil recovery and to ionic/nonionic blends. When paired with appropriate assumptions, experiments, and parameterization, HLD functions as an effective screening tool across surfactant applications.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

Abstract

Introduction

Background: HLB, PIT, and microemulsion phase behavior

Motivation for HLD as an alternative

HLD equations and parameter definitions

Ionic surfactants (anionic and cationic)

Variables used in the ionic HLD equation

Received: 15 August 2022 Revised: 27 December 2022 Accepted: 7 January 2023 DOI: 10.1002/jsde.12660 REVI EW Review: Implementing the hydrophilic–lipophilic deviation model when formulating detergents and other surfactant-related applications Parichat Phaodee 1 | Javen Weston 2 1RD&E/Handcare Anchor, Ecolab Research Center, Eagan, Minnesota, USA 2College of Engineering and Natural Sciences, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA Correspondence Parichat Phaodee, RD&E/Handcare Anchor, Ecolab Research Center, Eagan, MN 55121, USA. Email: [parichat.phaodee@ecolab.com](parichat.phaodee@ecolab.com) Abstract When designing surfactant formulations using ionic and nonionic surfactants, the hydrophile lipophile balance (HLB) is a generalized surfactant characterization parameter that has shown to be useful when designing surfactant formulations, in the case of both ionic and nonionic surfactants (Davies’ and Griffin’s methods) . Microemulsion phase behavior studies have been extensively used to optimize surfactant formulations, but these studies can cover a very wide phase space and can often encounter troublesome non-equilibrium issues such as coacervation. Detailed phase behavior studies can be time-consuming and difficult to apply beyond the specific surfactant-oil system studied. The hydrophilic–lipophilic deviation (HLD) provides a method to help expedite surfactant formulation research by reducing the number of phase behavior studies required to optimize a given formulation. Detergency experiments have indicated that there is an optimal range of HLD for a given fabric surface. This appears to apply to other applications, as well, for example, surfactant formulations used in enhanced oil recovery have been optimized using the HLD method. These studies found that the HLD can reflect total oil recovery, even if the surfactants were derived from different alcohol feedstocks (e.g., HLD of 0 would describe optimum conditions regardless the type of surfactant) . Also with additional parameterization, the HLD method can also be applied to nonideal surfactant mixtures, specifically ionic/nonionic blends. Overall, the HLD framework has shown to be an effective screening tool for a wide range of surfactant-related applications when appropriate experiments, assumptions, and understanding of surfactant and oil interactions are used to generate the HLD parameters. KEYWORDS anionic surfactants, application of surfactants, cationic surfactants, detergent formulation, non-ionic surfactants INTRODUCTION Drs. David Sabatini and Jeffrey Harwell have made significant contributions and inspired numerous researchers in the area of applied surfactant science during their times at University of Oklahoma. In honor of their retirement from teaching and researching, this article compiles previous work on the use of the hydrophilic– lipophilic deviation (HLD) model when formulating detergents and other surfactant formulations. The HLD has been an important part of their work across a wide variety of applications. Hydrophile lipophile balance (HLB), phase inversion temperature (PIT), and microemulsion phase behavior have been adopted in surfactant research and development for detergents, enhanced oil recovery, and consumer products (Boza Troncoso & Acosta, 2019; Chenget al. , 2020; Griffin, 1949, 1954; Ilec et al. , 2009 ; Mankowich, 1964; Storm et al. , 1976; Whanget al. , 2001) . However, these approaches have their own 2 JOURNAL OF SURFACTANTS AND DETERGENTS drawbacks and limitations. For example, the HLB for ionic surfactants does not allow for the inclusion of some surfactant structural features (i.e., tail branching; Do et al., 2009) . Meanwhile, phase behavior studies are timeconsuming experiments and very dependent on the specific surfactant-oil systems studied. The HLD concept has gained wide interest as an alternative to these approaches and has the ability to expedite surfactant research and development. Th

FAQs

What problem does the HLD model address in surfactant formulation development?

HLD helps expedite formulation research by reducing the need for broad, time-consuming microemulsion phase-behavior studies while still capturing essential surfactant–oil interaction effects.

How is HLD related to microemulsion structure across typical ranges?

Surfactant systems generally transition from Winsor Type I microemulsions at negative HLD through an optimum middle phase at HLD = 0, to Winsor Type II microemulsions at positive HLD values.

What does the document say about the role of HLD in detergency and other applications?

Detergency experiments indicate an optimal HLD range for a given fabric surface, and similar optimization has been reported for enhanced oil recovery; HLD can reflect total oil recovery even when surfactants come from different alcohol feedstocks.

Jul 6, 2026

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