Abstract: The invention relates to a process for preparing an emulsion of a first liquid in a second liquid wherein (a) at least one of the liquids comprises a surfactant or a precursor thereof, and (b) said second liquid has an electrical conductivity of less than 100 microSiemens/centimeter, and (c) interfacial tension between said liquids is at least 0.0001 mN/m, and (d) said liquids are subjected to an electric field of strength between 5000 to 107 V/m.

Abstract: A device is provided to clean an object by positioning the surface of the object to be cleaned in contact with a cleaning medium comprising one or more liquids having a dielectric constant of from 1 to 200 and placed in an electric field in the range of from 103 V/m to 107 V/m wherein said device is capable of generating said electric field using an alternating voltage/current source, said device comprising at least two electrodes where one of the electrodes is at a higher potential than the other and said electrodes are spatially separated by a distance of 1 micron to 2 cm by an insulating material having a dielectric breakdown strength greater than the applied electric field.