The role of dispersed phase concentration in the deformation and breakup of oil-in-water emulsions under flow

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dc.contributor.advisorGoveas, Jacqueline L.en_US
dc.creatorMarcu, Cosmin Gavrilen_US
dc.date.accessioned2009-06-04T08:04:54Zen_US
dc.date.available2009-06-04T08:04:54Zen_US
dc.date.issued2004en_US
dc.description.abstractThis thesis investigates the role of dispersed phase concentration on the drop deformation and breakup process of oil-in-water emulsions under flow. This work is motivated by two earlier studies: one by Mason & Bibette [4], on concentrated viscoelastic emulsions, which became monodisperse under the application of a simple shear flow, and a second, by Aronson [5], where a similar emulsion became monodisperse in a complex mixing flow. In the first part of the thesis, we study the effect of changing surfactant concentration, dispersed phase concentration and flow rate on the Aronson emulsion and two other oil-in-water emulsions. We find that emulsions in a mixing flow only become monodisperse around the close packing oil concentration of 70%. Increasing mixer speed and surfactant concentration decreases the polydispersity. Final mean drop sizes follow the same trend as the polydispersity. Qualitatively similar results are obtained by subjecting the emulsions to a simple shear flow. In the second part of the thesis, we directly visualize drop breakup in a concentrated emulsion. We used a model emulsion of castor oil in aqueous maltose in a simple shear flow, over an oil concentration range of 2--75%. Above 20% oil concentration, we observe qualitative changes in the deformation process. Instead of deforming into well-defined cylindrical threads, drops deform into convoluted shapes, with fluid accumulating unevenly along the drop length. The end-pinching instability is also suppressed with increasing concentration. The time to breakup for the drops becomes increasingly independent of initial drop size with increasing concentration until at around the close packing volume fraction, all the drops in the emulsion break together.en_US
dc.format.extent91 p.en_US
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen_US
dc.identifier.callnoTHESIS CH.E. 2004 MARCUen_US
dc.identifier.citationMarcu, Cosmin Gavril. "The role of dispersed phase concentration in the deformation and breakup of oil-in-water emulsions under flow." (2004) Master’s Thesis, Rice University. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/1911/17704">https://hdl.handle.net/1911/17704</a>.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1911/17704en_US
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.rightsCopyright is held by the author, unless otherwise indicated. Permission to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exemptions to copyright law must be obtained from the copyright holder.en_US
dc.subjectChemical engineeringen_US
dc.titleThe role of dispersed phase concentration in the deformation and breakup of oil-in-water emulsions under flowen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
dc.type.materialTexten_US
thesis.degree.departmentChemical Engineeringen_US
thesis.degree.disciplineEngineeringen_US
thesis.degree.grantorRice Universityen_US
thesis.degree.levelMastersen_US
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Scienceen_US
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