Use of microfluidic devices to evaluate emulsion stability

• Grant number: 19/07744-1
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: August 01, 2019
• End date: July 31, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Rosiane Lopes da Cunha
• Grantee: Rosiane Lopes da Cunha
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia de Alimentos (FEA). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Ana Carolina de Aguiar ; Paula Kiyomi Okuro ; Tanara Sartori Masiero

Abstract

Emulsions stability is an essential attribute in the food and pharmaceutical industries, determining their application and evaluating the efficiency of compounds used to stabilize these emulsions. Therefore an emulsion stability analyzer could be used to determine both emulsifiers concentration and conditions of stability along time in order to achieve high stability. An emulsion stability analyzer could be also useful considering in-line approaches to enhance oil recovery of crude oil and nonpolar molecules obtained from fermentative microbial production in industrial biotechnology, since both processes can generate undesirable stable emulsions. Breaking emulsions (from both fermentation and crude oil processes) is currently performed by demulsifiers addition, which is usually costly and non-ecofriendly. In addition there are no efficient tools that enable a systematic characterization of the properties of multiphase systems during oil production. In these processes the prediction of emulsion stability throughout time is crucial aiming the lowest kinetic stability as well as to define optimized destabilization conditions. In this context the aim of this project is to understand the mechanisms of emulsion (de)stabilization within microfluidics devices for determination of emulsions stability not only considering their application in food and pharmaceutical industries but also aiming tailored, cost-effective oil recovery. For this, we propose a novel strategy based on last developments in microfluidics for studying droplet formation and coalescence. Designing of different channels will be evaluated to obtain an efficient phases separation. Thus, we aim at further advancing the microfluidics technology to be used as (de)stabilizer of emulsions in order to further implementation as an in-line emulsion characterization device. (AU)

Scientific publications

(7)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

DIAS MEIRELLES, AURELIANO AGOSTINHO; RODRIGUES COSTA, ANA LETICIA; MICHELON, MARIANO; VIGANO, JULIANE; CARVALHO, MARCIO S.; CUNHA, ROSIANE LOPES. Microfluidic approach to produce emulsion-filled alginate microgels. Journal of Food Engineering, v. 315, FEB 2022. (19/07744-1, 17/18109-0, 20/15774-5, 20/02313-0, 11/06083-0)

SANTOS, TATIANA PORTO; MICHELON, MARIANO; CARVALHO, MARCIO SILVEIRA; CUNHA, ROSIANE LOPES. Formation and stability of oil-in-water emulsions based on components of bioprocesses: A microfluidic analysis. COLLOIDS AND SURFACES A-PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND ENGINEERING ASPECTS, v. 626, OCT 5 2021. (09/54137-1, 11/06083-0, 17/18109-0, 19/07744-1)

SANTOS, TATIANA PORTO; CEJAS, CESARE M.; CUNHA, ROSIANE LOPES. Microfluidics as a tool to assess and induce emulsion destabilization. SOFT MATTER, v. 18, n. 4, p. 698-710, JAN 26 2022. (17/18109-0, 19/07744-1)

FONSECA, LARISSA RIBAS; SANTOS, TATIANA PORTO; CZAIKOSKI, ALINE; CUNHA, ROSIANE LOPES. Microfluidics-based production of chitosan-gellan nanocomplexes encapsulating caffeine. Food Research International, v. 151, JAN 2022. (19/07744-1, 17/18109-0)

SANTOS, TATIANA PORTO; CUNHA, ROSIANE LOPES. Designing biotechnological processes to reduce emulsions formation and improve oil recovery: Study of antifoams application. Biochemical Engineering Journal, v. 163, NOV 15 2020. (17/18109-0, 09/54137-1, 11/06083-0, 19/07744-1)

PORTO SANTOS, TATIANA; CUNHA, ROSIANE LOPES; TABELING, PATRICK; CEJAS, CESARE M.. Colloidal particle deposition on microchannel walls, for attractive and repulsive surface potentials. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, v. 22, n. 30, p. 17236-17246, AUG 14 2020. (17/18109-0, 19/07744-1, 18/18103-4)

PORTO SANTOS, TATIANA; CEJAS, CESARE M.; CUNHA, ROSIANE LOPES; TABELING, PATRICK. Unraveling driving regimes for destabilizing concentrated emulsions within microchannels. SOFT MATTER, v. 17, n. 7, p. 1821-1833, FEB 21 2021. (19/07744-1, 17/18109-0, 18/18103-4)