Characteristics of a motionless mixer for dispersion of immiscible fluids—II. Phase inversion of liquid-liquid systems

✍ Scribed by M. Tidhar; J.C. Merchuk; A.N. Sembira; D. Wolf

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1986
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 564 KB
• Volume: 41
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0009-2509
• DOI: 10.1016/0009-2509(86)87027-0

✦ Synopsis

Phase inversion in liquid-liquid systems flowing in a motionless mixer was studied using the modified electroresistivity method published in Part I of this series (Sembira A., Merchuk J. C. and Wolf D., Chem. Ewng Sci. 1986 41 445). The pairs of liquids used were: (a) water-kerosene, (b) water-Ccl, and (c) water-(kerosene + CCL). Suher SMV-4 mixing elements made of stainless steel (SS3 16) and identical elements coated with a film of Teflon weie used. On the basis of the experimental results, it can be concluded that (a) the metastable or ambivalent zone is very narrow; (b) at low flow rates the nature of the surface of the mixing elements has a strong influence on the phase inversion phenomenon; (c)at high flow rates the nature of the surfaces has a weak influence and the inversion occurs when the volume fraction of the dispersed phase is close to 0.5. A predictive model based on free energy considerations is derived. The model describes the results reported satisfactorily.