A low‐energy emulsification batch mixer for concentrated oil‐in‐water emulsions

This work shows the formation of a high internal phase ratio oil‐in‐water (O/W) emulsion using a new type of a two‐rod batch mixer. The mixture components have sharply different viscosities [1/3400 for water‐in‐oil (W/O)], similar densities (1/0.974 for W/O), and an O/W ratio of 91% (wt/wt). The simple design of this mixer leads to a low‐energy process (10⁶ < energy density [J m^?3] < 10⁷), characterized by low rotational speed and laminar flow. The droplet size distribution during the emulsification was investigated according to different physical and formulation parameters such as stirring time (few minutes < t < 1 h), rotational speed (60 < Ω < 120 rpm), surfactant type (Triton X‐405 and X‐100), concentration (from 1 to 15.9 wt % in water), and salt addition (30 g/L). We show that all studied parameters allow a precise control of the droplet size distribution and the rheology. The resulting emulsions are unimodal and the mean droplet diameter is between 30 μm and 8 μm. © 2010 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2011     

A descriptive force‐balance model for droplet formation at microfluidic Y‐junctions

In a previous article, we studied the basics of emulsification in microfluidic Y‐junctions, however, without considering the effect of viscosity of the disperse phase. As it is known from investigations on many different microstructures that viscosity and viscosity ratio are governing parameters for droplet size, we here investigate whether this is also the case for microfluidic Y‐junctions and do so for a wide range of process conditions. The investigated Y‐junctions have a width of 19.9 or 12.8 μm and a depth of 5.0 μm, and the formed monodisperse droplets (CV < 1%) are between 3 and 20 μm. We varied the disperse‐phase viscosity using different oils (1–105 mPa s), and continuous‐phase viscosity using glycerol–water and ethanol–water mixtures (1.0–6.2 mPa s), which corresponds to disperse‐to‐continuous‐phase viscosity ratios from 0.4 to 105.0. Through the variation of the liquids, also a range in interfacial tensions (12–55 mN m^?1) is assessed. The disperse‐phase flow rate is varied from 0.039 to 18.0 μL h^?1, the continuous‐phase flow rate from 1.39 μL h^?1 to 0.41 mL h^?1, and this corresponds to flow rate ratios from 1.1 × 10^?3 to 0.14, which is once again based on wide range of conditions. For all these conditions, in which droplets are formed in the dripping and jetting regime, the droplet size could be described with a model based on the existing force‐balance model, but now extended to incorporate the cross‐sectional area of the droplet and the resistance with the wall. Surprisingly enough, it was found that the droplet size is not influenced by the disperse‐phase viscosity, or the viscosity ratio, but it is dominated by the resistance with the wall and the continuous‐phase properties. Because of this, emulsification with Y‐junctions is intrinsically simpler than any other shear‐based method as droplet size is only determined by the continuous phase. © 2010 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2010     

Breakup dynamics for high‐viscosity droplet formation in a flow‐focusing device: Symmetrical and asymmetrical ruptures

The breakup mechanism of high‐viscosity thread for droplet formation in a flow‐focusing device is investigated using a high‐speed digital camera. Aqueous solution of 89.5%‐glycerol is used as the dispersed phase, while silicone oil as the continuous phase. The breakup process of the dispersed thread presents two categories: symmetrical rupture and asymmetrical rupture. Furthermore, the rupture behavior could be divided into two stages: the squeezing stage controlled by the squeezing pressure and the pinch‐off stage controlled by viscous stresses of both phases and surface tension. Specifically, it suggests that the differences in the shape of the liquid–liquid interface and the dynamics in the two breakup processes are caused by the disparity of the strain field at the point of detachment. Moreover, the thinning rate and the dynamics of the dispersed thread change with the viscosity of the continuous phase, but are less dependent of the flow rate of the continuous phase. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 62: 325–337, 2016     

Modeling of the transient viscosity for polymer melts after startup of shearing and elongational deformations

In order to describe the transient stress growth for polymer melts, the empirical model proposed by Seo for the viscosity of steady‐state flow is combined with a phenomenological viscoelastic model of a differential type (the White–Metzner model) along the lines proposed by Souvaliotis and Beris. The relaxation time is taken as a function of the invariant of the stress tensor (hence that of the configuration tensor) rather than that of the rate of the deformation tensor. Numerical results show a good correlation with experimental data. The model predictions approach steady‐state values at long times after the startup. The nonlinear form of the model correlates very well with the experimental data over many decades of the deformation rate, both in shearing and elongational deformations. The proposed model is a simple one that can also describe the overshoot in the transient stress growth. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 88: 510–515, 2003     

Combining process and property models: Development of novel reaction strategies for high‐solids,low‐viscosity latices

Multiple strategies for the synthesis of high‐solids, low‐viscosity latices have been established in modern polymer industry. The basic principle supporting these strategies is the polydispersity of the particle size distribution. However, polymerization procedures are often based on experience, tacit knowledge acquired with time and repetitive trial‐and‐error procedures. Recently, a novel coupled polymerization–viscosity model has been proposed. The model aids screening of potential polymerization strategies. This work presents use of the model as a powerful tool to design new strategies for obtaining highly concentrated aqueous polymer dispersions. By incorporating some simplifying assumptions into the coupled model, the feasibility for synthesizing high‐solids latex with low viscosity using novel polymerization strategies was assessed. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 97: 733–744, 2005     

A Structural‐Factor Approach to Modeling High‐Dimensional Time Series and Space‐Time Data

This article considers a structural‐factor approach to modeling high‐dimensional time series and space‐time data by decomposing individual series into trend, seasonal, and irregular components. For ease in analyzing many time series, we employ a time polynomial for the trend, a linear combination of trigonometric series for the seasonal component, and a new factor model for the irregular components. The new factor model simplifies the modeling process and achieves parsimony in parameterization. We propose a Bayesian information criterion to consistently select the order of the polynomial trend and the number of trigonometric functions, and use a test statistic to determine the number of common factors. The convergence rates for the estimators of the trend and seasonal components and the limiting distribution of the test statistic are established under the setting that the number of time series tends to infinity with the sample size, but at a slower rate. We study the finite‐sample performance of the proposed analysis via simulation, and analyze two real examples. The first example considers modeling weekly PM_2.5 data of 15 monitoring stations in the southern region of Taiwan and the second example consists of monthly value‐weighted returns of 12 industrial portfolios.     

Investigation of compatibility of a dicyanate ester monomer and polysulfone by size‐exclusion chromatography and viscometry

The influence of solvent on the compatibility behaviour of Arocy B10, a cyanate ester monomer, and polysulfone (PSF) was investigated by means of dilute solution viscometry and of the preferential solvation parameter at 25 °C. The ternary systems under study are: tetrahydrofuran/Arocy B10/polysulfone (PSF), N,N‐dimethylformamide/Arocy B10/PSF and dichloromethane/Arocy B10/PSF. Values of the specific viscosity of PSF in a ‘binary solvent’ formed by Arocy B10 + solvent have been used to determine the compatibility of the polymer blend Arocy B10/PSF. An interaction parameter Δb that depends on concentration has been determined. The preferential solvation parameter was measured by size‐exclusion chromatography at different monomer‐to‐polymer ratios. PSF was found to be preferentially solvated by the monomer. Both techniques agree quantitatively in every system indicating maximum compatibility at the same Arocy B10 concentration. However, they differ when comparing the two parameters among the three systems. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

On the steady‐state drop size distribution in stirred vessels. Part I: Effect of dispersed phase viscosity

Previous studies on emulsification have used the maximum drop size (d_max) or Sauter mean diameter ( ) to investigate the effect of viscosity on the drop size distribution (DSD), however, these parameters fall short for highly polydispersed emulsions. In this investigation (Part I), the steady‐state DSD of dilute emulsions is studied using of silicon oils with viscosities varying across six orders of magnitude at different stirring speeds. Different emulsification regimes were identified; our modeling and analysis is centered on the intermediate viscosity range where interfacial cohesive stresses can be considered negligible and drop size increases with viscosity. The bimodal frequency distributions by volume were well described using two log‐normal density functions. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 64: 3293–3302, 2018     

A novel feasibility analysis method for black‐box processes using a radial basis function adaptive sampling approach

Feasibility analysis is used to determine the feasible region of a multivariate process. This can be difficult when the process models include black‐box constraints or the simulation is computationally expensive. To address such difficulties, surrogate models can be built as an inexpensive approximation to the original model and help identify the feasible region. An adaptive sampling method is used to efficiently sample new points toward feasible region boundaries and regions where prediction uncertainty is high. In this article, cubic Radial Basis Function (RBF) is used as the surrogate model. An error indicator for cubic RBF is proposed to indicate the prediction uncertainty and is used in adaptive sampling. In all case studies, the proposed RBF‐based method shows better performance than a previously published Kriging‐based method. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 63: 532–550, 2017     

高浓度尿基复合肥生产工艺

阐述高浓度尿基复合肥生产工艺、产品特点、生产过程中对缩二脲控制及其对产品缓释性能的研究     

Influence of Operating Parameters on the Average Spout Width in Two‐Dimensional Spouted Beds

In this work a set of experiments were performed in a two‐dimensional spouted bed to study the effect of different operating conditions on the spout cavity width. The measurement of spout‐annulus interface along the bed level was made by visual observations on a flat face column. A numerical integration formula was used to calculate the average spout width. The experimental runs were performed with different materials, bed dimensions, static bed heights, fluid velocities and gas inlet orifice width. The influences of these variables on average spout width were verified through a statistical analysis. An empirical correlation is proposed to predict the average spout width. The empirical model parameters were found through a statistical analysis.     

Controlling micro‐ and nanofibrillar morphology of polymer blends in low‐speed melt spinning process. Part II: Influences of extrusion rate on morphological changes of a PLA/PVA blend through a capillary die

The effects of the extrusion rate on the morphological changes of poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) blend through a capillary die were investigated. In this study, the extrusion rate or mass flow rate is altered from 0.5 g min^?1 to 2 g min^?1 with an increment of 0.5 g min^?1. The PLA/PVA blend with a composition of 30/70 (wt %) exhibits a particle matrix morphology with dispersed PLA droplets within the PVA matrix. It is found that, the spherical or ellipsoidal dispersed PLA droplets are elongated and coalesced into rod‐like or longer ellipsoidal droplets when they pass through the capillary die. When the extrusion rate increases, the coalescence between the large PLA droplets occurs more intense. However, the changes of the extrusion rate have no strong effect on the coalescence of small droplets having diameter less than about 150 nm. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 44257.     

Discussion on the pressure drop calculation for oil‐water separated flow using a one dimensional two‐fluid model

The purpose of this work is to seek the key factors influencing the pressure drop calculation for oil‐water separated flow using a one dimensional two‐fluid model. Closure relations published for the two‐fluid model such as interface configuration, wall, and interfacial shear stress correlations are summarized. Interface configurations are established by numerically solving the Young‐Laplace equation, correlated with the Bond number, contact angle, and water holdup. Results show that the interface transforms from concave to convex with the enlargement of the contact angle and becomes flat as the Bond number increases. For the pressure drop calculation, a limited difference of predicted accuracy between the curve and flat interface is found. Discussions of both the wall and interfacial friction factor correlation on the pressure drop calculation are performed. In contrast to the effect of the interfacial friction factor, the correlation of the wall friction factor is found to have more contributions. We validate the prediction accuracy of different wall frictions factors using eight groups of published experiment results, and one correlation is recommended and being further extended.     

Dimensional analysis of Ni‐NiO grains at anode/electrolyte interface for SOFC during redox reaction

Upon reduction and re‐oxidization, the interface of a microtubular solid oxide fuel cell (MTSOFC) anode/electrolyte was structurally analyzed using a dual beam focused ion beam/scanning electron microscope (FIB/SEM) and scanning transmission electron microscopy combined with energy dispersive X‐ray spectrometer (STEM‐EDX). The bulk volume of the dense NiO phase dramatically contracted upon reduction, while the YSZ phases are completely unaffected. No cracks or particle detachment are observed either at the interface of the anode/electrolyte or in the anode backbone. Compared with the initial NiO state (as‐prepared), the area of Ni phase contracts by 22.6%‐83.7%, depending on the grain size.     

Process intensification of gas–liquid downflow and upflow packed beds by a new low‐shear rotating reactor concept

In the present work, a new low‐shear rotating reactor concept was introduced for process intensification of heterogeneous catalytic reactions in cocurrent gas–liquid downflow and upflow packed‐bed reactors. To properly assess potential advantages of this new reactor concept, exhaustive hydrodynamic experiments were carried out using embedded low‐intrusive wire mesh sensors. The effect of the rotational velocity on liquid flow patterns in the bed cross‐section, liquid saturation, pressure drop, and regime transition was investigated. Furthermore, liquid residence time and Péclet number estimated by a stimulus‐response technique and a macro‐mixing model were presented and discussed with respect to the prevailing flow patterns. The results revealed that the column rotation induces different flow patterns in the cross‐section of the packed bed operating in a concurrent downflow or upflow mode. Moreover, the new reactor concept exhibits a more flexible adjustment of pressure drop, liquid saturation, liquid residence time, and back‐mixing at constant flow rates. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 63: 283–294, 2017     

The potential of current high‐resolution imaging‐based particle size distribution measurements for crystallization monitoring

High‐speed, in situ video microscopy is a promising technology for measuring critical solid‐phase properties in suspension crystallization processes. This paper demonstrates the feasibility of high‐resolution, video‐imaging‐based particle size distribution (PSD) measurement by applying image analysis and statistical estimation tools to images from a simulated batch crystallization of an industrial photochemical. The results also demonstrate the ability to monitor important quality parameters, such as the ratio of nuclei mass to seed mass, that cannot be monitored by conventional technologies. General recommendations are given for achieving appropriate sampling conditions to enable effective imaging‐based PSD measurement. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2009     

Linear stability analysis of two‐layer rectilinear flow in slot coating

Two‐layer coating occurs in many products. Ideally, the liquids are deposited onto the substrate simultaneously. In the case of two‐layer slot coating, the interlayer between the coating liquids is subjected to enormous shearing. This may lead to flow instabilities that ruin the product. It is important to map the regions of the parameter space at which the flow is unstable. Most of the stability analyses of two‐layer rectilinear flow consider the position of the interlayer as an independent parameter. Classical results cannot be applied directly in coating flows. We present a linear stability analysis of two‐layer rectilinear flow considering the flow rates as an independent parameter. The predicted neutral‐stability curves define the region of stable flow as a function of the operating parameters. The range of coating operating conditions is restricted further, when the condition for the desirable interlayer separation point location are considered together with the stability condition. © 2010 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2010     

Development of a hybrid shrinking‐core shrinking‐particle model for entrained‐flow gasifiers

Slagging entrained‐flow gasifiers operate above the melting temperature of the ash. As slag is highly nonwetting on the surface of char (carbon) particles, it is likely that it will agglomerate into one or several slag droplets and some of these droplets can detach from the char particles. If the slag exists in the form of droplets on the char surface rather than as a solid shell around the unreacted char particle, a shrinking particle model would be more physically realistic representation in comparison to the widely used shrinking core model (SCM). In the early section of the gasifier, the temperature remains below the ash melting temperature and, therefore, the SCM is more appropriate in this region. With this motivation, a novel hybrid shrinking‐core shrinking‐particle model has been developed. The model provides spatial profile of a number of important variables that are not available from the traditional SCM. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 62: 659–669, 2016     

工业碳酸钡生产过程危险性分析

阐述了工业碳酸钡的生产方法。在碳酸化法生产工业碳酸钡过程中，存在着火灾、爆炸、中毒、触电、灼烫等危险因素。分析了工业碳酸钡生产的原料粉碎工段、雷蒙工段、粗钡工段、化钡工段、石灰窑工段、压缩机工段、碳化工段、过滤工段、烘干包装工段中存在的危险性，并制定了相应的预防及处理措施。指出安全措施应与主体装置同时设计、同时施工、同时投用。