Apparatus for forming emulsions

• US 4,533,254 A
• Filed: 02/21/1984
• Issued: 08/06/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/1981
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microfluidics International Corporation (RELX PLC)
• Original Assignee: Biotechnology Development Center | Dcb-Us LLC
• Inventors: Lagace, Arthur P., Cook, Edward J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jenkins, Robert W.
• Application Number:
  US06/581,568
• Time in Patent Office: 532 Days
• Field of Search: 366/336, 366/337, 366/338, 366/339, 366/340, 366/176, 366/136, 366/137, 366/150, 252/314, 252/359 R, 252/359 A, 252/359 D
• US Class Current: 366/176.1
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/41 Emulsifying
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/4143 Microemulsions
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/49 Mixing systems, i.e. flow charts or diagrams
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/23 Mixing by intersecting jets
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/30 Micromixers

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.

Claims

1. A liquid jet interaction chamber block for forming an emulsion, comprising in combination

(a) a plurality of submerged nozzles providing elongated orifices arranged to eject under pressure a plurality of thin sheets of an emulsion-forming liquid system, said nozzles being arranged to effect turbulent jet interaction of said sheets along a common liquid jet interaction front and said sheets being ejected by said nozzles into a low pressure zone filled with said liquid further creating turbulent jet interaction along a common boundary essentially defined and formed by said mixture in said low pressure zone and by said sheets ejected into said low pressure zone;

(b) jet interaction chamber-defining means arranged to provide said low pressure zone of said liquid system in which said turbulent jet interaction is effected;

(c) inlet channel means to deliver said liquid system under pressure to said nozzles; and

(d) discharge channel means to withdraw said liquid in the form of an emulsion from said zone.

2. A liquid jet interaction chamber in accordance with claim 1 wherein two of said nozzles are used and positioned to define between said two nozzles an angle of about 180°

whereby said elongated orifices of said two nozzles eject said sheets of an emulsion forming system and whereby one of said sheets is ejected frontally toward the other of said sheets creating said jet interaction front and said turbulent jet interaction occurring along said common boundary.

3. A liquid jet interaction chamber in accordance with claim 1 wherein said nozzles are defined between two optically flat surfaces held in spaced relationship by shim spacer means.

4. A liquid jet interaction chamber in accordance with claim 3 wherein the thickness of said shim spacer means is at least about 10 μ

m.

5. A liquid jet interaction chamber in accordance with claim 4 wherein the width of said nozzles ranges from about 10 times to about 20 times the thickness of said shim spacer means.

6. A liquid jet interaction chamber block for forming an emulsion, comprising in combination

(a) base member means having an essentially optically flat surface thereon;

(b) top member means having an essentially optically flat surface thereon;

(c) shim spacer means interposed between said optically flat surfaces of said base and top member means and and maintained in fluid-tight contact with them, said shim spacer means having an opening cut therethrough to expose said optically flat surfaces to each other over a predetermined area, and said shim spacer means having a predetermined thickness;

(d) opposed nozzles defined between said exposed surfaces and providing opposed elongated orifices said orifices having a height dimension determined by said thickness of said shim spacer means and said orifices having a width dimension determined by said opening cut through said shim spacer means and said nozzles having a length at least equal to said orifice width;

(e) outer high-pressure liquid inlet channels in fluid communication with said nozzles to provide high pressure liquid thereto;

(f) central liquid jet interaction chamber means between the outlet of said nozzles to provide a low-pressure liquid zone in which a common turbulent liquid jet interaction front is formed and said nozzles so arranged to achieve within said interaction chamber, turbulent jet interaction producing high values of circulation energy;

(g) inlet liquid conduit means arranged to communicate with said inlet channels; and

(h) discharge liquid conduit means arranged to communicate with said central interaction chamber means.

7. A liquid jet interaction chamber block in accordance with claim 6 wherein the thickness of said shim spacer means is at least about 10 μ

m.

8. A liquid jet interaction chamber block in accordance with claim 7 wherein said opening in said shim spacer means is cross-shaped having first arms said first arms having a length determined by distance between outer walls of said inlet channels and said first arms having a width determinative of said orifice width dimension said first arm width being at least greater than said shim spacer means thickness, and second arms perpendicular to said first arms and extending the length of said nozzles length dimension.

9. A liquid jet interaction chamber block in accordance with claim 6 wherein said outer, high-pressure liquid inlet channels comprise opposing grooves cut in said base and top members.

10. A liquid jet interaction chamber block in accordance with claim 6 wherein said outer, high-pressure liquid inlet channels are defined by grooves cut in said base member and said exposed optically flat surface of said top member.

11. A liquid jet interaction chamber block in accordance with claim 6 wherein said central liquid jet interaction chamber means comprise opposing grooves cut in said base and top members.

12. A liquid jet interaction chamber block in accordance with claim 6 wherein said turbulent liquid jet interaction front is formed at a distance between said nozzles and within said central interaction chamber means said formed front distance being from about 10 times to about 20 times said orifice height dimension from each of said nozzle orifices.

13. An apparatus for forming an emulsion of an emulsion-forming liquid system, comprising in combination

(a) jet interaction chamber block means comprising in combination

(1) a plurality of submerged nozzles providing elongated orifices arranged to eject under pressure a plurality of thin sheets of an emulsion-forming liquid system, said nozzles being arranged to effect turbulent jet interaction of said sheets along a common liquid jet interaction front and said sheets being ejected by said nozzles into a low-pressure zone filled with said liquid further creating turbulent jet interaction along a common boundary essentially defined and formed by said mixture in said low pressure zone and by said sheets ejected into said low pressure zone;

(2) jet interaction chamber-defining means arranged to provide said low pressure zone of said liquid system in which said turbulent jet interaction is effected;

(b) liquid supply means arranged to provide predetermined amounts of said liquid system;

(c) pump means for delivering said liquid system under pressure to said nozzles; and

(d) means to withdraw said liquid system in the form of an emulsion from said low-pressure zone.

14. An apparatus in accordance with claim 13 further comprising recycle means to recycle a predetermined proportion of said emulsion as said liquid system through said nozzles;

and means to draw off as product emulsion that proportion of said emulsion not recycled by said recycle means.

15. An apparatus in accordance with claim 14 including holding tank means in said recycle means between said jet interaction chamber block means to draw off said microemulsion.

16. An apparatus in accordance with claim 13 wherein said liquid supply means includes means to provide a predetermined amount of an emulsifier.

17. An apparatus in accordance with claim 13 including means associated with said liquid supply means to add finely divided particulate material to said liquid system.

18. An apparatus in accordance with claim 13 wherein said pump means achieves essentially constant displacement with time.

19. An apparatus in accordance with claim 13 wherein said turbulent liquid jet interaction front is formed at a distance between said nozzles and within said jet interaction chamber defining means said formed front distance being from about 10 to about 20 times the height dimension of said orifice from each of said nozzles orifices.