Factors influencing droplet size distribution in SPG membrane emulsification

Membrane emulsification is a new emulsification method proposed in 1988 by Nakashima and Shimizu [1]. This method enables the production of highly uniform droplets of controlled mean sizes [2]. The additional advantage over traditional processes is a low mechanical stress, because small droplets are directly formed by pressing the dispersed phase through the pores into the flowing continuous phase (Fig. 1). Due to uniform pores, the wide spectrum of available mean pore sizes (0.05-30 μm) [3], and the possibility of surface modification, the Shirasu-porous-glass (SPG) membrane is a suitable membrane for mechanical emulsification. The aim of this work was to investigate the influence of the mean pore size of the SPG membranes and the various operating parameters on the droplet size distribution.