Method for producing emulsion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10967336-B2
Application number	US-201816040452-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 19, 2018
Priority date	Aug 19, 2011
Publication date	Apr 6, 2021
Grant date	Apr 6, 2021

Abstract

The disclosed invention is device for preparation of an emulsion and a method for producing an emulsion. The method comprises the steps of: (1) causing water and a water-insoluble substance that is to be emulsified to become freely miscible under conditions of temperature and pressure in the vicinity of the vapor-liquid critical point of water; and (2) cooling the product comprised of the water-insoluble substance and water solved each other in the presence of a surfactant to obtain a liquid comprised of the water-insoluble substance dispersed in water or a liquid comprised of water dispersed in the water-insoluble substance. The present invention provides a new device and a new method for producing emulsions with high efficiency without requiring a long period of processing or a great amount of energy.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for preparation of an emulsion comprising:
a heating device into which water flows continuously or intermittently to obtain heated and pressurized water or a water-insoluble substance to be emulsified flows continuously or intermittently to obtain a heated and pressurized water-insoluble substance;
a first flow merger in which under pressure, the heated and pressurized water obtained by the heating device continuously or intermittently merges with a water-insoluble substance to be emulsified or the heated and pressurized water-insoluble substance to be emulsified obtained by the heating device continuously or intermittently merges with water;
a mixing apparatus into which the liquid merged by the first flow merger flows and the water-insoluble substance is dissolved in the water while maintaining at a temperature and pressure approximately at the vapor-liquid critical point of water;
a second flow merger in which the water-insoluble substance dissolved in water flowing out from the mixing apparatus merges with a surfactant at a temperature and pressure approximately at the vapor-liquid critical point of water; and
a cooling device into which the liquids merged by the second flow merger flows and a mixture of the dissolved material and surfactant is cooled to obtain an emulsion in which the water-insoluble substance is emulsified in water or an emulsion in which water is emulsified in the water-insoluble substance; and
the heating device, the first flow merger, the mixing apparatus, the second flow merger and the cooling device connect each other in this order.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the first flow merger comprises two liquid supply ports and a single liquid outlet, wherein through one of the liquid supply ports the heated and pressurized water obtained by the heating device is fed and through another liquid supply port a water-insoluble substance to be emulsified is fed and through the single liquid outlet a merged liquid is discharged.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the first flow merger comprises two liquid supply ports and a single liquid outlet, wherein through one of the liquid supply ports the heated and pressurized water-insoluble substance to be emulsified obtained by the heating device is fed and through another liquid supply port water is fed and through the single liquid outlet a merged liquid is discharged.

4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the second flow merger comprises two liquid supply ports and a single liquid outlet, wherein through one of the liquid supply ports the water-insoluble substance dissolved in water flowing out from the mixing apparatus is fed and through another liquid supply port a surfactant is fed and through the single liquid outlet a merged liquid is discharged.

5. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling device is a cooling device for cooling at a rate of 100° C./second to 1,000° C./second to a temperature of at least 100° C.

6. The device according to claim 1 , wherein a further cooling device presents between the mixing apparatus and the second flow merger.

7. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the heating device obtains heated and pressurized water at temperature and pressure approximately at the vapor-liquid critical point of water.

8. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the heating device obtains heated and pressurized water-insoluble substance at temperature and pressure approximately at the vapor-liquid critical point of water.

9. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the heating device and the first flow merger are workable at temperature and pressure approximately at the vapor-liquid critical point of water.

10. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the mixing apparatus is workable at temperature and pressure approximately at the vapor-liquid critical point of water.

11. A device for preparation of an emulsion comprising:
a heating device into which water flows continuously or intermittently to obtain heated and pressurized water or a water-insoluble substance to be emulsified and a surfactant flow continuously or intermittently to obtain a heated and pressurized water-insoluble substance and a surfactant;
a flow merger in which under pressure, the heated and pressurized water obtained by the heating device continuously or intermittently merges with a water-insoluble substance to be emulsified and a surfactant or the heated and pressurized water-insoluble substance to be emulsified and a surfactant obtained by the heating device continuously or intermittently merges with water;
a mixing apparatus into which the material merged by the flow merger flows and the water-insoluble substance and the surfactant is dissolved in the water while maintaining at a temperature and pressure approximately at the vapor-liquid critical point of water; and
a cooling device into which the dissolved material of the water-insoluble substance, surfactant and water is cooled to obtain an emulsion in which the water-insoluble substance is emulsified in water or an emulsion in which water is emulsified in the water-insoluble substance; and wherein the heating device, the flow merger, the mixing apparatus and the cooling device connect each other in this order.

12. The device according to claim 11 , wherein the first flow merger comprises two liquid supply ports and a single liquid outlet, wherein through one of the liquid supply ports the heated and pressurized water obtained by the heating device is fed and through another liquid supply port a water-insoluble substance to be emulsified and a surfactant are fed and through the single liquid outlet a merged liquid is discharged.

13. The device according to claim 11 , wherein the first flow merger comprises two liquid supply ports and a single liquid outlet, wherein through a first of the two liquid supply ports the heated and pressurized water-insoluble substance to be emulsified and a surfactant obtained by the heating device are fed and through a second of the two liquid supply ports of which water is fed and through the single liquid outlet a merged liquid is discharged.

14. The device according to claim 11 , wherein the cooling device is a cooling device for cooling at a rate of 100° C./second to 1,000° C./second to a temperature of at least 100° C.

15. The device according to claim 11 , wherein the heating device obtains heated and pressurized water at temperature and pressure approximately at the vapor-liquid critical point of water.

16. The device according to claim 11 , wherein the heating device obtains heated and pressurized water-insoluble substance and surfactant at temperature and pressure approximately at the vapor-liquid critical point of water.

17. The device according to claim 11 , wherein the heating device and the first flow merger are workable at temperature and pressure approximately at the vapor-liquid critical point of water.

18. The device according to claim 11 , wherein the mixing apparatus is workable at temperature and pressure approximately at the vapor-liquid critical point of water.

Assignees

• Deguchi Shigeru
• Ifuku Nao
• Japan Agency Marine Earth Sci

Inventors

• Deguchi Shigeru
• Ifuku Nao

Classifications

• B01F23/411 Primary

  using electrical or magnetic fields, heat or vibrations · CPC title

• B01F23/043

  Mixing fluids or with fluids in a supercritical state, in supercritical conditions or variable density fluids · CPC title

• B01F17/00

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F2003/0064

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F3/0815 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic