Mrs. S. van der Graaf: Membrane Emulsification: Droplet Formation and Effects of Interfacial Tension

Thesis: Membrane Emulsification: Droplet Formation and Effects of Interfacial Tension

Membrane Emulsification: droplet formation and effects of interfacial tension

Emulsions are mixtures of water and oil in which one phase is dispersed as droplets in the other phase. Examples of emulsions are mayonnaise, creams and paints. To make a stable emulsion, addition of surfactants (soap molecules) is needed.

Membrane emulsification is a relatively new technique to produce emulsions. In this method the oil phase is pushed through a membrane, a sieve with very small holes, and forms droplets in the water phase at the other side of the membrane. The most important advantage of this technique is that all the formed droplets have the same size and the emulsion has therefore a better quality.

In this research, the influence of surfactants on the droplet formation and detachment process has been studied with the help of experiments and computer simulations.The results showed that both the concentration surfactant and the velocity of the oil phase flowing through the membrane influence the droplet size.