Fluid Mechanics and Transport Phenomena

A low-energy emulsification batch mixer for concentrated oil-in-water emulsions

  1. Sylvain Caubet1,2,
  2. Yves Le Guer2,*,
  3. Bruno Grassl1,
  4. Kamal El Omari2,
  5. Eric Normandin3

Article first published online: 18 MAR 2010

DOI: 10.1002/aic.12253

Issue

AIChE Journal

AIChE Journal

Volume 57, Issue 1, pages 27–39, January 2011

Additional Information

How to Cite

Caubet, S., Le Guer, Y., Grassl, B., El Omari, K. and Normandin, E. (2011), A low-energy emulsification batch mixer for concentrated oil-in-water emulsions. AIChE J., 57: 27–39. doi: 10.1002/aic.12253

Author Information

  1. 1

    Institut Pluridisciplinaire de Recherche Environnement et Matériaux (IPREM UMR 5244), Equipe de Physique et Chimie des Polymères (EPCP), Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour (UPPA), Hélioparc, Avenue P. Angot, 64000 Pau, France

  2. 2

    Laboratoire de Thermique Energétique et Procédés (LaTEP), Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour (UPPA), IFR, BP 7511, 64075 Pau cedex, France

  3. 3

    Plateau Innov'Adour (UPPA), Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour (UPPA), Hélioparc, Avenue P. Angot, 64000 Pau, France

*Laboratoire de Thermique Energétique et Procédés (LaTEP), Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour (UPPA), IFR, BP 7511, 64075 Pau cedex, France

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 18 MAR 2010
  2. Article first published online: 18 MAR 2010
  3. Accepted manuscript online: 18 MAR 2010 12:00AM EST
  4. Manuscript Revised: 26 FEB 2010
  5. Manuscript Received: 24 SEP 2009

Funded by

  • Communauté d'Agglomération Pau-Pyrénées (CDAPP)

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Keywords:

  • batch mixer;
  • laminar flow emulsification;
  • concentrated emulsions;
  • droplet size distribution control;
  • rheokinetics

Abstract

This work shows the formation of a high internal phase ratio oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion using a new type of a two-rod batch mixer. The mixture components have sharply different viscosities [1/3400 for water-in-oil (W/O)], similar densities (1/0.974 for W/O), and an O/W ratio of 91% (wt/wt). The simple design of this mixer leads to a low-energy process (106 < energy density [J m−3] < 107), characterized by low rotational speed and laminar flow. The droplet size distribution during the emulsification was investigated according to different physical and formulation parameters such as stirring time (few minutes < t < 1 h), rotational speed (60 < Ω < 120 rpm), surfactant type (Triton X-405 and X-100), concentration (from 1 to 15.9 wt % in water), and salt addition (30 g/L). We show that all studied parameters allow a precise control of the droplet size distribution and the rheology. The resulting emulsions are unimodal and the mean droplet diameter is between 30 μm and 8 μm. © 2010 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2011

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