Separation Science and Technology, Vol.44, No.1, 151-168, 2009
Mechanical Entrainment in W/O/W Emulsion Liquid Membrane
An experimental study of mechanical entrainment in W/O/W emulsions is conducted. W/O/W emulsions are stirred for various stirring times under the conditions that mechanical entrainment solely occurs, and changes in volume of the W/O emulsions and size distribution of the internal water droplets are measured. The rate of change in number of the water droplets entrained is found to be proportional to the volume fraction of W/O emulsions. Based on this result, a new model for mechanical entrainment is developed. The calculated change in W/O emulsion volume with time agrees with the observed ones except in the region near phase inversion. Then, phase inversion is discussed.