Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ShipShape (Bottom-up Energy Efficient Emulsification and Structured Materials)
Reporting period: 2017-08-01 to 2018-12-31
Industrial emulsions are often prepared using inefficient, high energy processes, such as mechanical shearing or high pressure. These processes lead to temperature increase and are unsuitable for thermosensitive ingredients. In the current project we demonstrated the capabilities of a new efficient method enabling self-emulsification at low temperatures by simple cooling and reheating of the coarse emulsion up to the initial temperature. We carried out investigations that would help industry understand the mechanisms behind the self-emulsification and potential for obtaining uniform nanoparticles by this method. We built a lab-scale reactor working in a continuous flow mode which can be scaled up for industrial applications. We showed that the method is applicable to various food and cosmetics relevant compounds. Two patent applications were prepared in order to protect the developed reactor prototype and methods and mixtures that can be used for the triglyceride self-emulsification process.