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Oil-in-water emulsification using confined impinging jets
Shad W Siddiqui1, Ian T Norton
1School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, West Midlands, United Kingdom. S.Siddiqui.1@bham.ac.uk
Journal of Colloid and Interface Science
|April 27, 2012
Summary
This study explored continuous sunflower oil/water emulsification using a jet mixer. Turbulent flow and specific emulsifiers like Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate yielded the smallest droplets, with multi-pass processing further reducing size.
Area of Science:
- Colloid and Surface Science
- Fluid Dynamics
- Materials Science
Background:
- Emulsification is crucial for various industries.
- Controlling droplet size is key to emulsion stability and performance.
- Turbulent flow and emulsifier choice significantly impact droplet characteristics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate continuous oil/water emulsification in a confined impinging jet mixer.
- To evaluate the effect of turbulent flow conditions on droplet size.
- To assess the impact of different emulsifiers and multi-pass processing on emulsion characteristics.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a confined impinging jet mixing device for emulsification.
- Investigated sunflower oil/water mixtures with 5-10% oil content.
- Employed various emulsifiers: Tween20, Span80, Whey Protein, Lecithin, and Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate (SDS).
- Varied jet flow rates and Reynolds numbers to achieve turbulent flow regimes.
- Performed multi-pass emulsification to study droplet size reduction over time.
Main Results:
- Smallest droplet sizes (around 3.8 μm) were achieved with Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate (SDS) under fully turbulent flow (Re=13,000).
- Whey Protein resulted in larger droplets (around 6 μm).
- Droplet size was consistent across 5-10% oil concentrations under optimal turbulent conditions.
- Multi-pass emulsification significantly reduced droplet size, attributed to enhanced droplet breakage and emulsifier stabilization.
- Droplet size correlated with interfacial tension and peak energy dissipation.
Conclusions:
- Confined impinging jet mixing is effective for continuous oil/water emulsification.
- Turbulent flow conditions and appropriate emulsifier selection are critical for achieving small droplet sizes.
- Multi-pass processing offers a viable strategy for further refining droplet size and enhancing emulsion stability.
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