Process and apparatus for producing emulsion and microcapsules
AssigneeJapan Science and Technology Agency
InventorsToshiro Higuchi, Toru Torii, Takashi Nishisako, Tomohiro Taniguchi
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Abstract
A process and apparatus for rapidly producing an emulsion and microcapsules in a simple manner is provided wherein a dispersion phase is ejected from a dispersion phase-feeding port toward a continuous phase flowing in a microchannel in such a manner that flows of the dispersion phase and the continuous phase cross each other, thereby obtaining microdroplets, formed by the shear force of the continuous phase, having a size smaller than the width of the channel for feeding the dispersion phase.
Claims2
A process for producing an emulsion, comprising:
- feeding a flow of a dispersion phase from a dispersion phase-feeding channel to a flow of a first continuous phase flowing in a microchannel at a first junction to form a two-layered flow consisting of the flow of the first continuous phase and the flow of the dispersion phase;
- and
- feeding the two-layered flow consisting of the flow of the first continuous phase and the flow of the dispersion phase to a flow of a second continuous phase flowing in a microchannel at a second junction, thereby forming an emulsion consisting of the dispersion phase in a flow comprising a liquid micro-particulate separated from the first continuous phase and the second continuous phase.
A process for producing microcapsules, comprising:
- feeding a flow of a dispersion phase from a dispersion phase-feeding channel to a flow of a first continuous phase flowing in a microchannel at a first junction to form emulsions comprising liquid micro-particulates of the dispersion phase;
- and
- feeding the flow of the first continuous phase containing the emulsions to a flow of a second continuous phase flowing in a microchannel at a second junction, thereby forming microcapsules in the flow of the second continuous phase, the microcapsules containing the emulsions encapsulated in the first continuous phase as shells.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.