Find a chemistry
Not sure which product family fits your application? Answer two short questions — your industry and what you need the chemistry to do — and we will guide you to the right Esteem product hub.
Open the chemistry finder
Getting started
How to use these calculators
You do not need to be an expert formulator to begin. Follow these four steps, then use the verification checklist further down before specifying a grade.
01
Pick the right tab
HLB blend — you already know which emulsifiers and how much of each. Emulsifier match — you know the oils or waxes but need a surfactant pair. Ethoxylate HLB — you are checking an alcohol ethoxylate grade.
02
Enter your data
List every component in the oil phase with its weight share. Choose catalog grades when available so HLB values come from supplier data. Use Custom HLB only when you have a figure from a TDS or COA.
03
Read the result
Note the blend HLB or required HLB and any suggested emulsifier ratio. For oil-in-water creams, blend HLB should usually be within about ±2 of the oil phase required HLB. Use Copy link to save or share the calculation.
04
Verify in the lab
Prepare small trial batches, inspect stability after 24 h and after a heat–cool cycle, and compare to the product TDS or COA. The checklist below explains exactly what to look for.
Verification
How to check your analysis is correct
Calculator output is a starting estimate. Temperature, pH, salt content, and co-surfactants all influence real emulsion behaviour. Work through this checklist before you specify a commercial grade:
- Compare numbers. Blend HLB (from the HLB blend tab) should be close to required HLB (from the emulsifier match tab) — typically within ±2 units. If they are far apart, recheck oil weights and emulsifier HLB values.
- Prepare trial batches. Make three to five small batches (50–100 g) at HLB values around your target — for example −2, −1, 0, +1, and +2 relative to the calculated blend HLB.
- Check room-temperature stability. After 24 hours, look at the bottom and sides of the jar for water separation, oil droplets rising, or graininess. A stable emulsion should look uniform.
- Run a heat–cool cycle. Hold at 40 °C for 2 hours, then cool to 4 °C overnight. Re-inspect. Separation after this test means the HLB window is not yet right.
- Cross-check the documents. Open the product TDS or COA and confirm HLB, cloud point, and appearance match what you entered. Calculator cloud-point values are typical estimates only.
- Record process conditions. Note pH, electrolyte level, mixing speed, and addition temperature. These factors shift the effective HLB and are not included in the calculator.
- Request samples. When one batch in your ladder looks best, request Esteem samples for that grade and repeat the same stability checks before scale-up.
If you are new to HLB, read the HLB scale guide for definitions, worked examples, and common emulsifier pairs.
Interactive tools
HLB, emulsifier match, and ethoxylate estimators
Enter your formulation data below. Results update instantly. Use Copy link to bookmark or share the exact calculation with a colleague.
HLB blend = Σ (weight × HLB) ÷ Σ weight. Select an Esteem catalog grade (grouped by chemistry) or enter a custom HLB from the product TDS. Anionics, betaines, and specialty treating chemicals are outside the Griffin 0–20 scale.
The required HLB of a mixed oil phase is the weight-average of each oil or wax listed. Enter every component and its proportion, then match the result with a low-HLB plus high-HLB emulsifier pair.
Griffin HLB = 20 × (n × 44.05) ÷ (MWalcohol + n × 44.05), where n is ethylene oxide moles. Cloud point is estimated from typical 1% aqueous values — confirm on the product certificate of analysis before specification.
These tools provide starting estimates only. HLB does not replace laboratory stability testing, electrolyte screening, or review of the SDS and TDS. Contact Esteem technical support before specifying a grade for production.
Compare chemistries
Save two or three product pages and compare ionic type, typical HLB, foam profile, and biodegradability side by side before you request samples.
Open chemistry compareHLB scale guide
Definitions, Griffin and Davies methods, required-HLB reference tables, and worked examples for creams, agrochemical emulsions, and fragrance systems.
Read the HLB guide
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Calculator use, result verification, and when to request samples
Use a weighted average: HLBblend = Σ (weight × HLB) ÷ Σ weight. The HLB blend calculator on this page applies that formula as you enter each emulsifier and its proportion. A common starting pair is sorbitan monostearate (HLB 4.7) with Polysorbate 60 (HLB 14.9). For worked examples and background theory, see the HLB scale guide.
Required HLB is the HLB value at which a given oil or wax emulsifies most readily in water. For a mixed oil phase, calculate the weight-average required HLB of each component, then select a low-HLB and a high-HLB emulsifier whose blend brackets that number. The emulsifier match tab performs this calculation and suggests suitable Esteem ester and alkoxylate families.
Griffin HLB = 20 × (n × 44.05) ÷ (MWalcohol + n × 44.05), where n is the number of ethylene oxide moles. The ethoxylate tab also estimates a typical 1% aqueous cloud point. Always confirm both values against the supplier TDS or COA — electrolytes, branching, and chain distribution can shift cloud point in your actual system.
Treat the output as a starting window, not a final specification. (1) Compare blend HLB to the required HLB of your oil phase — they should be within about ±2 units. (2) Prepare three to five small lab batches spanning that window (for example −2, 0, and +2 HLB). (3) After 24 hours at room temperature, inspect for creaming, separation, or graininess; repeat after a heat–cool cycle (40 °C then 4 °C). (4) Cross-check HLB and cloud point on the product TDS or COA. (5) Request Esteem samples and run the same ladder before locking a commercial grade.
Yes. The page URL updates automatically as you work. Use Copy link to send a colleague the exact blend, oil mix, or ethoxylate settings. Chemistry-finder states can be shared at find-chemistry.php?industry=agro&need=emulsify.
No. HLB is a useful screening tool, but temperature, salt, pH, and co-surfactant interactions all affect real emulsion stability. Use the calculator to narrow the search, then validate with bench trials and request samples before specifying a grade for production.
No questions match that search.
Next step
Ready to validate your HLB window?
Share the blend HLB, oil phase composition, or ethoxylate mole count from the calculator. Our technical team will recommend starting grades and arrange samples for laboratory confirmation.