Production of High Internal Phase Emulsion with a Miniature Twin Screw Extruder

Emulsions are traditionally prepared by batched emulsifying an oil phase and aqueous phase with a magnetic/mechanical stirrer, homogenizer, or ultrasonic machine, etc. Herein, high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs) produced with a miniature twin screw extruder were first investigated. Adding an oil phase (the mixture of styrene, divinylbenzene, and span 80) and aqueous phase to the inlet of a miniature twin screw extruder, a series of white and viscous HIPEs were obtained at the outlet of the extruder. With the screw rotation speed and the surfactant content varied respectively in the ranges of 50–200 rpm and 5–20%, a series of HIPEs having uniform droplet size were produced. Polymerizing these HIPEs caused a series of polymerized HIPES, which have a well-defined open-cell structure. The method developed herein shows that it is possible to prepare emulsions with oil and water by twin screw extrusion. Also, it may also cause a continuous preparation of HIPEs when the miniature twin screw extruder was replac...