Triethanolamine as an emulsifier

We made a moisturizer in chemistry class, and used triethanolamine as an emulsifier. From what I've been told, you need a polar head and a non-polar tail to have an emulsifier. Does the triethanolamine bond with a fatty acid to become an emulsifier?

In addition to the triethanolamine, we used coconut oil, kerosene, stearic acid and glycerol.

No.

>used triethanolamine as an emulsifier
>Does the triethanolamine bond with a fatty acid to become an emulsifier?

wait, wut?  Isn't it already an emulsifier by your first statement?

The triethanolamine will form a co-valent bond with the shamalamadingdong.

No, because triethanolamine has some non-polar and some polar characteristics. The nonpolar chain of the fatty acid associates with the methylene while the N and -OH associate with teh polar carboxyl groups and everyone is happy.  No covalent rearragements involved.

>>5
I was totally with until the "teh" part.

>>1
pour it in milk and see what happens

>>7
I hope it explodes

>>8
With a name like 'triethanolamine', how could it not?

One mole of TEA can form esters with one to three moles of fatty acids like tallow oe oleic acids at 140-160 degc.

One mole of Talpidae can form three hills on a standard meadow at standard temperature and pressure.

I'm no chemist, but glycerol, kerosene, and trisomethingsomething sounds suspiciously like dynamite