# name
Validation of the scale-up process of highly-concentrated emulsions

# metadata.dc.description[].value
Treballs Finals de Grau d'Enginyeria Química, Facultat de Química, Universitat de Barcelona, Curs: 2013-2014, Tutors: José María Gutiérrez González i Anna May Masnou

# metadata.dc.description.abstract[].value
Emulsions are dispersions of two immiscible liquids, one of which is dispersed as tiny
droplets -dispersed phase- in the other one -continuous phase. The decisive parameter to
characterise an emulsion is the dispersed phase volume fraction ϕ. This study is focused on highinternal-
phase-ratio emulsions (HIPRE), which are defined by ϕ exceeding 0.74, defined as the
ratio in which the spheres of the dispersed phase are monodispersed undistorted forming the
most compact packing. In this work, water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions are constituted by a 90 % wt/wt
(88 % vol/vol) of water dispersed in the continuous phase (dodecane and surfactant Span 80).
The first goal of this work is the validation of empirical models obtained previously from central
composite designs which apparently predict the emulsion properties given some fixed preparation
and composition conditions. Actually, three of these conditions are studied: the stirring rate of the
impeller and the addition flow rate, as preparation factors; and the surfactant concentration
(surfactant-to-dodecane ratio), as composition variable. The characterisation of the emulsions is
carried out testing their viscoelastic behaviour -rheological tests-, the stability over time –by
measuring changes on the back scattering- and droplet size –determined through images
obtained with an optical microscope. To do the validation of the models, additional experiments
are carried out following a simple design in the experimental range of the variables.
The preparation of the emulsions is simple and in this step is where the different factors are varied
in order to analyse their effects on the emulsion. The continuous phase –organic one, in which
surfactant concentration is varied from one experiment to another- is introduced into the jacketedtank
at 25 ºC and then, the impeller is set at a fixed stirring rate and the dispersed phase -wateris added at a constant flow rate. In this method, emulsions are formed thanks to the energy input provided by the stirrer...

# metadata.dc.source[].value
Treballs Finals de Grau (TFG) - Enginyeria Química

# metadata.dc.title[].value
Validation of the scale-up process of highly-concentrated emulsions

# metadata.dc.title.alternative[].value
Validació del procés d’escalat d’emulsions altament concentrades