Contact-Mediated Nucleation of Subcooled Droplets in Melt Emulsions: A Microfluidic Approach

The production of melt emulsions is mainly influenced by the crystallization step, as every single droplet needs to crystallize obtain a stable product with long shelf life. However, dispersed droplets requires high subcooling, resulting in time, energy and cost intensive processes. Contact-mediated nucleation (CMN) may be used intensify process, enabling at higher temperatures. It describes successful inoculation subcooled liquid crystalline particle. Surfactants are added emulsions/suspensions for their stabilization against coalescence or aggregation. They cover interface, lower specific interfacial form micelles continuous phase. assumed that concentrations surfactant monomers phase delay even hinder CMN two reaction partners cannot get touch. Experiments were carried out microfluidic chip, allowing controlled contact between crystallized droplet. We able demonstrate impact concentration on CMN. Following an increase aqueous micelle concentrations, time needed inoculate increased was prevented entirely.