Oil is the dispersed phase in an oil-in-water emulsion.
The ratio between the continuous phase and the dispersed phase has a strong influence on the viscosity.
A water-in-oil emulsion where fresh or salt water is the dispersed phase and diesel, crude, or some other oil is the continuous phase.
"Both the dispersed phase and the continuous phase may be solid, liquid, or gas; examples include suspensions, aerosols, smokes, emulsions, gels, sols, pastes, and foams. Colloids are often classified as reversible or irreversible, depending on whether their components can be separated. "
A new droplet breakage criterion and a modified model of droplet breakage frequency which account for the effect of dispersed phase viscosity on drop deformation and breakage were presented.