(431g) Controlled Droplet Size for Oil-in-Water Emulsions: Experimental and Modeling Approach to Characterize Work History Applied By Mixing Devices

To reduce the time and cost associated with scaling-up processes for emulsification, we need to fundamentally understand how the different mixers create dispersions and how to control the final dispersion properties. This knowledge will enable flexibility in transferring products by improving emulsion technology selection. The primary goal of this project is to develop a better understanding of drop breakup within the high shear mixers used for emulsification by examining the fundamental relationships between shear input and break-up mechanism and the final drop size/distribution, developing correlations to describe these relationships, and characterizing different high shear mixers using the correlation. M-Star CFD was used to evaluate several mixers and examine the flow behavior of particles as they are mixed. The power dissipation the particle experiences along its path is then used to approximate a maximum drop size and size distribution.