Generation of Oil‐In‐Water Emulsion‐Core Sodium Alginate Beads

ABSTRACT Combined emulsion‐hydrogel systems offer versatile platforms for controlled release and enhanced emulsion stability across various applications. This study introduces alginate‐based core‐shell structures encapsulating oil‐in‐water emulsions. Mineral oil is emulsified using an aqueous solution containing carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), calcium lactate, and non‐ionic surfactants (Tween 20 and Span 80) at varying concentrations. The influence of oil volume fraction and surfactant concentration on emulsion stability is assessed through bottle tests, droplet size distribution, and zeta potential analysis. Emulsions with 30 v% oil and 2 wt.% Tween 20 demonstrate the highest stability, remaining stable for up to seven days. The optimized emulsion exhibits a small droplet size of 0.55 µm and a polydispersity index of 15%, indicating a uniform and stable dispersion. This formulation is successfully encapsulated into alginate beads, yielding uniform and spherical structures. SEM imaging shows smooth shell surfaces due to the incorporation of oil, further supported by FTIR analysis. Oil content analysis reveals that larger thin‐shelled beads retain the most oil (25.5%), demonstrating bead morphology influence. Mechanical and swelling tests also show that large, thin‐shelled beads provide superior pressure resistance and swelling capacity. These findings highlight the potential of emulsion‐filled core‐shell alginate beads for applications requiring structural integrity and controlled release.