Cross-flow microchannel apparatus and method of producing or separating emulsions making use thereof

• US 6,258,858 B1
• Filed: 03/01/1999
• Issued: 07/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bio-Oriented Technology Research Advancement Institution, Japan As Represented By Director of National Food Research Institute Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries, Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bio-Oriented Technology Research Advancement Institution, Japan As Represented By Director of National Food Research Institute Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries
• Inventors: Komori, Hideaki, Yonemoto, Toshikuni, Kawakatsu, Takahiro, Nakajima, Mitsutoshi, Kikuchi, Yuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Lovering, Richard D.
• Application Number:
  US09/260,416
• Time in Patent Office: 862 Days
• Field of Search: 516/73, 516/924, 516/197, 366/173.1, 366/176.1, 366/176.4, 366/340, 366/341, 210/800, 210/802, 137/7, 137/3, 137/896, 514/937, 514/941, 264/11
• US Class Current: 516/73
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/041 with moving devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/044 by changing the pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/10 with stationary filtering elements
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/18 Apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 2025/9121 from the center to the circumference, i.e. centrifugal flow
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/41 Emulsifying
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/4143 Microemulsions
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/451 by injecting one liquid into another
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/21 with submerged injectors, e.g. nozzles, for injecting high-pressure jets into a large volume or into mixing chambers
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/305 the additional component being axially fed and radially discharged through a circumferential outlet
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/3142 the conduit having a plurality of openings in the axial direction or in the circumferential direction
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/30 Micromixers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 366/03 Micromixers: variable geometry from the pathway influences mixing/agitation of non-laminar fluid flow
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 516/924 Significant dispersive or manipulative operation or step in making or stabilizing colloid system
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0329 Mixing of plural fluids of diverse characteristics or conditions
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87652 With means to promote mixing or combining of plural fluids

Abstract

Cross-flow microchannel apparatus for producing emulsions includes a pump 9 and a pump 11 which are driven to respectively supply a continuous phase to a concave portion 4 via a supply pipe 10, a supply hole 6 and a supply port 18 and a dispersed phase to a space between the outside of a base 3 and the inside of a concave portion 2 formed in a case 1 via a supply pipe 12 and a supply hole 7. Then, by applying a predetermined pressure to the dispersed phase, the dispersed phase is formed into fine particles via a microchannels 21 and mixed with the continuous phase, thereby forming emulsions. The emulsions are withdrawn to a tank and so on via a withdrawal port 19, a withdrawal hole 8, and a withdrawal pipe 13 for emulsions. The apparatus can alternatively be used to separate an emulsion by pumping the emulsion within the concave portion 4 via pipe 10, hole 6 and port 18, such that the emulsion is separated via the microchannels 21 into a continuous phase that is withdrawn from the hole 7, and a dispersed phase that is withdrawn from the hole 8.

Claims

1. A cross-flow microchannel apparatus, comprising:

a case;

a base which is accommodated in said case; and

a plate which is installed facing a side of said base for forming a flow path in said base;

wherein

supply and withdrawal holes are formed in said case for supplying at least one of a continuous phase, a dispersed phase and an emulsion within the case and for withdrawing at least one of the continuous phase, the dispersed phase and the emulsion from said case;

a supply port corresponding to one said supply hole, a withdrawal port corresponding to one said withdrawal hole and microchannels opening to the flow path are formed in said base; and

furthermore, via the microchannels, a region within said case at the outside of said base and the flow path at the inside of said base are connected.

2. A cross-flow microchannel apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein a horizontal terrace is formed from said microchannels to the flow path at the inside of the base.

3. A cross-flow microchannel apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein a tapered notch leading to the microchannels is formed in said base.

4. A cross-flow microchannel apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein said plate comprises a lid body which covers a concave portion of the case which accommodates the base therein.

5. A cross-flow microchannel apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein said plate is a transparent plate.

6. A cross-flow microchannel apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein a sheet, comprising silicon rubber, is provided between the inside of said case and said base.

7. A cross-flow microchannel apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein a supply hole for the continuous phase, a supply hole for the dispersed phase and a withdrawal hole for said emulsion are formed in said case;

and

the supply port corresponds to the supply hole for the continuous phase, the withdrawal port corresponds to the withdrawal hole for said emulsion, said region within said case is for the dispersed phase and said flow path is for the continuous phase.

8. A method of producing emulsions making use of the cross-flow microchannel apparatus defined in claim 7, comprising steps of:

supplying a continuous phase to said flow path at the inside of the base via the supply hole for the continuous phase formed in the case and the supply port for the continuous phase formed in the base;

supplying pressurized dispersed phase to the region of dispersed phase at the outside of the base via the supply hole for the dispersed phase formed in the case; and

mixing the dispersed phase into the continuous phase via the microchannels.

9. A method of producing emulsions making use of the cross-flow microchannel apparatus defined in claim 8, wherein an amount of emulsions to be produced per unit time is controlled by controlling the speed of flow of the continuous phase in the flow path at the inside of said base.

10. A method of producing emulsions as defined in claim 8, wherein said base has a concave portion defined in the side thereof facing said plate, said flow path including said concave portion.

11. A method of producing emulsions as defined in claim 10, wherein said microchannels are formed in said base at a boundary of said concave portion.

12. A cross-flow microchannel apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein a supply hole for said emulsion, a withdrawal hole for said continuous phase, and a withdrawal hole for at least one of the dispersed phase and emulsions are formed in said case;

said supply port corresponding to said supply hole for emulsions, said withdrawal port corresponding to said withdrawal hole for at least one of the dispersed phase and emulsions, the region at the outside of said base is for the continuous phase and the flow path at the inside of said base is for said supplied emulsion.

13. A method of separating emulsions making use of the cross-flow microchannel apparatus defined in claim 12, comprising steps of:

supplying a pressurized emulsion to the flow path at the inside of the base via said supply hole for emulsions formed in the case and a supply port for emulsions formed in the base; and

withdrawing the continuous phase to the outside of the flow path via the microchannels.

14. A method of separating emulsions making use of the cross-flow microchannel apparatus defined in claim 13, wherein an amount of the continuous phase to be withdrawn per unit time is controlled by controlling the speed of flow of the emulsions in the flow path at the inside of said base.

15. A method of separating emulsions as defined in claim 13, wherein said base has a concave portion defined in the side thereof facing said plate, said flow path including said concave portion.

16. A method of separating emulsions as defined in claim 15, wherein said microchannels are formed in said base at a boundary of said concave portion.

17. A cross-flow microchannel apparatus comprising:

a case;

a base which is accommodated in said case; and

a plate which is installed facing a side of said base for forming a flow path in said base;

wherein

supply and withdrawal holes are formed in said case for supplying at least one of a continuous phase, a dispersed phase and an emulsion within the case and for withdrawing at least one of the continuous phase, the dispersed phase and the emulsion from said case;

a supply port corresponding to one said supply hole, a withdrawal port corresponding to one said withdrawal hole and microchannels opening to the flow path are formed in said base; and

furthermore, via the microchannels, a region within said case at the outside of said base and the flow path at the inside of said base are connected; and

said base has a concave portion defined in the side thereof facing said plate, said flow path including said concave portion.

18. A cross-flow microchannel apparatus defined in claim 17, wherein said microchannels are formed in said base at a boundary of said concave portion.