The effect of steric interactions on the stability of oil-in-water emulsions is studied here by means of emulsion stability simulations (ESS). For this purpose, a new steric potential based on a modification of the one formerly proposed by Vincent et. al. [Colloids Surf. 18 (1986) 261] is employed. The parameters of the calculation correspond to hexadecane in water emulsions stabilized with nonylphenol ethoxylated surfactants of different chain lengths (NPEm). Stability ratios (W) were calculated using the half life time of the number of drops per unit volume of these systems. A functional relationship between W and the repulsive potential barrier, (Delta V), similar to the one previously found by Prieve and Ruckenstein for electrostatically stabilized suspensions [J. Colloid Interface Sci. 73 (1980) 539] was obtained. However, according to our simulations there exists a threshold for the stability of emulsions with respect to coalescence which is approximately located around 12.7k(B)T. (c) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.