Process for forming an emulsion using microchannel process technology
AssigneeVelocys, Inc.
InventorsDongming Qiu, Anna Lee Tonkovich, Laura Silva, Richard Q. Long, Barry L. Yang, Kristina Marie Trenkamp
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Abstract
The disclosed invention relates to a process for making an emulsion. The process comprises: flowing a first liquid through a process microchannel having a wall with an apertured section; flowing a second liquid through the apertured section into the process microchannel in contact with the first liquid, the second liquid being immiscible with the first liquid, the first liquid forming a continuous phase, and the second liquid forming a discontinuous phase dispersed in the first liquid.
Claims31
A process for making an emulsion, comprising:
- flowing a first liquid in a process microchannel having a wall with an apertured section;
- and
- flowing a second liquid through the apertured section into the process microchannel in contact with the first liquid to form the emulsion, the second liquid being immiscible with the first liquid, the first liquid forming a continuous phase, and the second liquid forming a discontinuous phase dispersed in the first liquid, the process microchannel having a narrowed height or width adjacent to the apertured section, the first liquid flowing through a region upstream of the apertured section having a height or width greater than the narrowed height or width adjacent to the apertured section, the emulsion flowing through a region downstream of the apertured section having a height or width greater than the narrowed height or width adjacent to the apertured section.
A process for making an emulsion in an emulsion forming unit comprising a plurality of process microchannels and adjacent liquid channels, each process microchannel and adjacent liquid channel having a common wall, each process microchannel having at least one apertured section in the common wall, the process microchannels having narrowed widths or heights adjacent to the apertured sections, the process microchannels and liquid channels having rectangular cross sections and being aligned in side by side or stacked planes, comprising:
- flowing a first liquid in the process microchannels;
- and
- flowing a second liquid from the liquid channels through the apertured sections into the process microchannels in contact with the first liquid, the second liquid being immiscible with the first liquid, the first liquid forming a continuous phase, and the second liquid forming a discontinuous phase dispersed in the first liquid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.