Intensification of production of O/W emulsions using oscillatory woven metal micro-screen (WMMS)

• Investigated effect of oscillation on emulsification using woven metal microscreen.
• Increasing oscillation intensity reduced droplet size and its distribution.
• Increasing dispersed phase flux increased droplet size but reduced its distribution.
• Although a torque balance can predict droplet size, the phenomena are more complex.
• Interaction between different parameters must be considered for proper modelling.

Using high porosity woven metal micro-screen (WMMS), a novel design oscillatory emulsifier had been used for intensification of production of relatively narrow size distribution oil in water (O/W) emulsions. The average droplet size increased with increasing the dispersed phase flow and decreased with increasing both the oscillation frequency and amplitude. The emulsion polydispersity decreased with increasing both oscillation intensities as well as dispersed phase flux. Although the change in droplet size with oscillation was reasonably predicted using a simple torque balance model based on Stokes oscillatory flow, both the flow patterns and the surface phenomena are more complex, and the final droplet size is affected by interactions between different operating and physical parameters.