The membrane emulsification process - a review

Membrane emulsification has received increasing attention over the last 10 years, with potential applications in many fields. In the membrane emulsification process, a liquid phase is pressed through the membrane pores to form droplets at the permeate side of a membrane; the droplets are then carried away by a continuous phase flowing across the membrane surface. Under specific conditions, monodispersed emulsions can be produced using this technique. The purpose of the present paper is to provide a review on the membrane emulsification process including: principles of membrane emulsification, influence of process parameters and industrial applications. Small-scale applications such as drug delivery systems, food emulsions, and the production of monodispersed microspheres are also included. Compared with conventional techniques for emulsification, membrane processes offer advantages such as control of average droplet diameter by average membrane pore size and lower energy input. (C) 2004 Society of Chemical Industry.