Method of forming a microemulsion
AssigneeBiotechnology Development Corporation
InventorsEdward J. Cook, Arthur P. Lagace
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Method and apparatus for forming emulsions, a term used to include microemulsions. The leading edges of a plurality of sheets of an emulsion-forming liquid mixture are forced under pressure to impinge in a low-pressure turbulent zone of the liquid. The apparatus comprises a plurality of nozzles having elongated orifices to eject under pressure sheets of the emulsion-forming liquid and being arranged to effect impingement of the sheets along a common liquid jet interaction front. Inasmuch as the method and apparatus permit the formulation of emulsions without the use of any emulsifiers, there is provided a new class of emulsions, namely those essentially free of any emulsifying agents. The emulsions formed have a wide range of applications.
Claims14
A method of forming a microemulsion, said method comprising the steps of:
- forming a mixture of liquids so as to produce a microemulsion-forming liquid system;
- dividing said mixture into at least two mixture streams;
- pressurizing each of said streams to a pressure of at least 4000 psi;
- ejecting each of said pressurized streams through a corresponding nozzle, at a velocity of at least 40 meters/second, into a low-pressure zone filled with said mixture so that said streams impinge upon one another in said low pressure zone so as to (a) create a turbulent jet interaction of said streams along a common boundary essentially defined and formed by said mixture in said low pressure zone and by said streams ejected into said zone, and (b) form said microemulsion so that said microemulsion includes disperse phase droplets having a diameter no greater than about 1 .mu.m;
- and
- removing said formed microemulsion from said low pressure zone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.