Upscaling microfluidic emulsification: the importance of sub-structure design in EDGE devices
Résumé
When used for emulsion production, microfluidics are known for their low energy usage and droplet
monodispersity. However, current throughputs need to be improved to realize larger scale microfluidic
emulsion production. Here, we present the upscaled device called Multi EDGE, which we use to produce
10-lm hexadecane droplets in 0.5 wt% SDS solution at 0.3 m3/m2h in a proof of concept study. The design
of the dispersed phase supply channels is crucial, since a higher flow resistance causes a higher blow-up
pressure and faster pore refilling. In turn, this results in high droplet formation frequencies of >1800 dro-
plet s1 per droplet formation unit, compared to maximally 60 droplet s1 per droplet formation unit for
devices with low-resistance substructure, which are limited by the refilling process. The fluxes and small
droplets of Multi EDGE, show that these devices have potential for upscaling, especially when the sub-
structure is designed properly.
Origine : Fichiers éditeurs autorisés sur une archive ouverte
Licence : CC BY - Paternité
Licence : CC BY - Paternité