Preparation of nano-emulsions using SPG membrane emulsification - application to vitamin E encapsulation

摘要

Membrane emulsification is an alternative to other emulsification methods [Vladisavljevic and Williams 2005, Charcosset 2006]. The dispersed phase is pressed through the pores of a porous membrane, while the continuous phase flows along the membrane surface. Droplets grow at pore openings until they detach. The resulting droplet size is controlled primarily by the choice of the membrane and not by the generation of turbulent droplet break-up. Besides the possibility of using shear-sensitive ingredients, emulsions with narrow droplet size distributions can be produced. A large range of parameters, including membranes, surfactants, pressure, and cross-flow rates, can be varied to modify the dispersed flux and the size distribution. Considerable amount of work has been carried on the preparation of emulsions, whereas there is only one report to our knowledge on the preparation of nano-emulsions using membranes [Oh et al. 2010].