Measure of degree to which a surface active agents is hydrophilic or lipophilic
The hydrophilic–lipophilic balance (HLB) of a surfactant is a measure of its degree of hydrophilicity or lipophilicity, determined by calculating percentages of molecular weights for the hydrophilic and lipophilic portions of the surfactant molecule, as described by Griffin in 1949[1][2] and 1954.[3] Other methods have been suggested, notably in 1957 by Davies.[4]