Industrial Aspects of Crystallization

Abstract

Oil and water don’t mix, that is what everyone knows….but if you are able to convince them; it is very well possible to produce stable emulsions. For this you need the right technology, of which examples will be presented in this chapter, focusing both on established equipment (high pressure homogenization, rotor-stator systems, ultrasound) and technology that is currently developed (microfluidic technology, hybrid systems). Based on the droplet size that is generated and the energy that is required to do so, the technologies will be compared. Besides, attention is given to the emulsion ingredients that stabilize the oil-water interface, and prevent instability of the emulsion through sedimentation, flocculation, and/or coalescence. The chapter concludes with a short outlook on methods that are currently developed to determine emulsion stability, which we expect to become very useful, not only for emulsions but also for derived products.