Revision of the mechanisms behind oil-water (O/W) emulsion preparation by ultrasound and cavitation

Stepišnik Perdih, Tadej (author), Zupanc, Mojca (author), Dular, Matevž (author)

Today emulsion preparation is receiving a lot of scientific attention, since emulsions are playing an essential role in many of the big industries, such as food, pharmaceutical or cosmetic industry. One of the most promising techniques for emulsion preparation is ultrasound emulsification. The purpose of this study is to expand the knowledge on the ultrasonically assisted emulsification model, that has not been amended since 1978. The model explains that oil-in-water emulsion formation is a two-step process. Firstly, the surface of the oil phase is disturbed and separated by the acoustic waves. Secondly, cavitation implosions further disrupt and disperse oil drops. We have used a high-speed camera to closely observe oil-in-water emulsion formation. The images show, that the ultrasound emulsification process is profoundly more complex. While the first and the last step of emulsion formation are the same as believed until now, additional intermediate stages of water-in-oil and even oil-in-water-in-oil occur.

• Language: English
• Keywords: ultrasound, emulsion, emulsification, oil-water, cavitation mechanism, high-speed visualization
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FS - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2019
• Number of pages: Str. 298-304
• Numbering: Vol. 51
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-126375
• UDC: 532.528(045)
• ISSN on article: 1350-4177
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2018.10.003
• COBISS.SI-ID: 16342299
• Publication date in RUL: 19.04.2021

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Ultrasonics Sonochemistry
• Shortened title: Ultrason. sonochem.
• Publisher: Butterworth-Heinemann, Elsevier Science
• ISSN: 1350-4177
• COBISS.SI-ID: 707668

Licences

• License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
• Description: The most restrictive Creative Commons license. This only allows people to download and share the work for no commercial gain and for no other purposes.
• Licensing start date: 19.04.2021

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: kavitacija, emulzija, mehurčki

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P2-0401
• Name: Energetsko strojništvo

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: BI-US/18-19-031
• Name: The physics of ultrasonic production of (nano)emulsions