HLB Calculator

Hydrophilic–Lipophilic Balance
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Oils

Required HLB:
0.00
0.00 %
16.70
%
7.00
%
11.00
%
7.00
%
8.00
%
12.00
%
16.00
%
7.00
%
8.00
%
13.00
%
7.00
%
7.00
%
5.00
%
12.00
%
6.00
%
14.00
%
8.00
%
15.50
%
8.22
%
15.50
%
10.00
%
10.00
%
12.60
%
5.00
%
6.00
%
8.00
%
7.50
%
7.50
%
9.00
%
5.00
%
8.00
%
9.00
%
6.00
%
8.00
%
6.00
%
6.00
%
7.00
%
7.00
%
7.00
%
9.00
%
3.00
%
11.50
%
11.50
%
6.00
%
8.00
%
7.00
%
10.00
%
8.00
%
12.00
%
6.81
%
11.80
%
7.00
%
8.00
%
7.00
%
6.00
%
10.00
%
7.52
%
9.00
%
10.90
%
7.00
%
6.00
%
7.67
%
12.30
%
7.00
%
7.00
%
7.00
%
8.03
%
13.49
%
6.00
%
7.00
%
7.00
%
7.00
%
15.00
%
8.00
%
7.00
%
8.00
%
7.00
%
7.00
%
15.00
%
15.50
%
7.00
%
7.00
%
8.00
%
6.00
%
9.88
%
7.50
%
7.00
%
If your oil is not listed, please contact us, preferably with a manufacturer specifications sheet that includes the HLB value.

Emulsifiers

Proposed HLB:
0.00
0.00 %
5.10
%
15.20
%
11.00
%
11.00
%
9.00
%
12.90
%
5.30
%
15.70
%
13.50
%
13.50
%
9.50
%
6.00
%
5.20
%
3.50
%
13.00
%
3.80
%
11.00
%
12.00
%
18.00
%
13.00
%
1.00
%
2.90
%
15.70
%
15.00
%
15.00
%
16.90
%
9.70
%
11.50
%
4.00
%
10.00
%
11.50
%
12.00
%
12.40
%
12.40
%
12.40
%
4.90
%
15.30
%
18.80
%
10.00
%
15.00
%
10.80
%
5.50
%
6.00
%
9.00
%
15.00
%
10.00
%
11.00
%
8.00
%
13.00
%
11.60
%
19.10
%
4.50
%
12.00
%
13.00
%
13.00
%
16.70
%
14.90
%
15.00
%
11.00
%
2.50
%
10.60
%
8.30
%
4.70
%
8.60
%
9.00
%
5.00
%
4.70
%
4.30
%
4.50
%
3.70
%
6.00
%
1.80
%
2.00
%
11.00
%
18.80
%
4.90
%
15.30
%
15.50
%
13.00
%
If your emulsifier is not listed, please contact us, preferably with a manufacturer specifications sheet that includes the HLB value.

What is HLB?

The Hydrophilic–Lipophilic Balance (HLB) is a measure of the balance between the hydrophilic and lipophilic portions of a surfactant molecule. The HLB value is used to determine the type of emulsion that can be formed by a surfactant.

The HLB value is a number between 0 and 20. A low HLB value (0–6) indicates a lipophilic surfactant that is more soluble in oil, while a high HLB value (8–18) indicates a hydrophilic surfactant that is more soluble in water.

The HLB value of a surfactant blend is calculated by taking the weighted average of the HLB values of the individual surfactants in the blend.