CFD model of a semi-batch reactor for the precipitation of nanoparticles in the droplets of a microemulsion

Abstract Precipitation inside the droplets of a microemulsionis a promising technology for the production of nanoparticles with tailored properties, like particle size or shape [1]. In this work, a water-in-oil (w/o)-microemulsion consisting of water, cyclohexane and the non-ionic technical surfactant Marlipal O13/40 is used to synthesise BaSO 4 nanoparticles. The reaction is initiated by the mixing of two microemulsions, one containing the first reactant BaCl 2 and the other containing the second reactant K 2 SO 4 , in semi-batch operation mode in a standard Rushton tank (V=300 ml). A narrow particle size distribution (Fig. 1) and particle sizes between 4 and 40 nm have been achieved by experiments [2].