Abstract
There is a large debate on the destabilization mechanism of emulsions. We present a simple technique using mechanical compression to destabilize oil-in-water emulsions. Upon compression of the emulsion, the continuous aqueous phase is squeezed out, while the dispersed oil phase progressively deforms from circular to honeycomb-like shapes. The films that separate the oil droplets are observed to thin and break at a critical oil/water ratio, leading to coalescence events. Electrostatic interactions and local droplet rearrangements do not determine film rupture. Instead, the destabilization occurs like an avalanche propagating through the system, starting at areas where the film thickness is smallest.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 7795-7800 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Langmuir |
| Volume | 36 |
| Issue number | 27 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 16 Jun 2020 |
Funding
This work is part of the research programme Controlling Multiphase Flow with project number 680-91-012, which is (partly) financed by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) and cofunded by TKI-E&I with the supplementary grant “TKI-Toeslag” for Topconsortia for Knowledge and Innovation (TKI’s) of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy. This work took place within the framework of the Institute of Sustainable Process Technology. The authors thank the workshop of the University of Amsterdam for their technical assistance. A.D. acknowledges funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Individual Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowship grant agreement number 798455. This work was partially funded by Evodos, Shell, and Unilever R&D.