Empirical correlation of stable double emulsion system of organic compound extraction in emulsion liquid membrane process

Abstract

The stability of emulsion is crucial in the emulsion liquid membrane (ELM) process. It has been discovered that the size of emulsion droplets and globules is related to ELM stability and can be predicted using a correlation model. In this study, the best correlation for the emulsion size prediction was determined for ELM extraction of succinic acid. Several parameters affecting the emulsion sizes and stability including emulsification speed, emulsification time, agitation speed, and treat ratio were evaluated. A new correlation for the succinic acid system was obtained that fit experimental data between 0.1-0.5 dispersed phased holdup fraction. From the study, the Weber number depended on the emulsification speed, emulsification time, and agitation speed, which consequently affected the predicted emulsion size. This study demonstrates that mathematical correlations can be used to predict the size of emulsion droplets and globules in the ELM process of organic compound extraction.