Patent ID: 8354488

Claim:
A method for stabilizing an emulsion of a discontinuous liquid phase in a continuous liquid phase, wherein one of such phases comprises an aqueous liquid and the other of such phases comprises a water immiscible liquid, comprising: (a) providing: (i) a reactive crosslinkable polymeric surfactant, comprising: (1) at least two hydrophilic monomeric units per molecule, each independently according to formula (I): wherein: R 1 is alkylene or oxyalkylene, R 2 is H, methyl, or ethyl, R 3 is H, and n is greater than about 5, and (2) one or more hydrophobic monomeric units per molecule, each independently according to formula (II): wherein: R 4 is H or methyl, R 5 is a hydrophobic group, wherein the polymeric surfactant comprises from about 20 to about 90 percent by weight monomeric units according to formula (I), from about 10 to about 80 percent by weight monomeric units according to formula (II) and is water soluble, and (ii) a crosslinking agent for the reactive polymeric surfactant at an interface between the discontinuous liquid phase and the continuous liquid phase, and (b) reacting the reactive polymeric surfactant with the crosslinking agent to form a polymer network at the interface.