A Geometric Model for the Dynamics of Microchannel Emulsification

Microchannel emulsification is an interfacial tension driven method to produce monodisperse microdroplets, or microspheres. In this paper we introduce a model for describing the dynamics of microchannel emulsification based on simple time dependent geometric shape analysis. The model is based on mechanistic principles that simultaneously predicts both process and microchannel geometry effects. The model contains no adjustable (fit) parameters and is thus fully predictive for oil in water emulsification. The model is easy to use and does not require extensive computational time and/or memory. The model was validated by comparison with the experimental results published by Sugiura and co-workers and we found excellent agreement. It was found that the droplet size of oil in water emulsions could be fully predicted using only two dimensionless numbers, an adapted capillary number that also comprises effects of terrace width and height, and the ratio of terrace length over terrace height. Based on these findings, a dimensionless design map could be constructed for a wide range of process conditions and microchannel dimensions