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Generation of uniform drops via through-hole arrays micromachined in stainless-steel plates

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Abstract

This study investigated the generation of oil drops using new symmetric and asymmetric through-hole-array devices made of stainless steel. The through-hole-array devices were built by piling up six stainless-steel plates, each having circular micro-holes with a diameter of 300 or 500 μm or micro-slots with a shorter line of 300 or 500 μm. Drops were generated by injecting a dispersed phase (refined soybean oil) via the through-hole array into a compartment filled with a continuous phase (Milli-Q water solution containing one of two emulsifiers). The drop detachment from symmetric and asymmetric through holes was observed in real time and analyzed. Uniform oil drops with average diameters of 1.0–4.1 mm and coefficients of variation of typically less than 6% were generated using symmetric and asymmetric through-hole-array devices. The resultant drop diameters for asymmetric through-hole arrays were significantly smaller than those for symmetric through-hole arrays. This paper also discusses experimental results regarding the effects of the microstructure, the dimensions of the through holes, and the type of emulsifier on drop generation and the resultant drop diameter.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported financially by Food Nanotechnology Project of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan. We also would like to express our thanks to our co-workers Ms. Reiko Nagata and Ms. Yuko Hori, National Food Research Institute.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Food Engineering Division, National Food Research Institute, 2-1-12 Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8642, Japan

    Isao Kobayashi, Kunihiko Uemura & Mitsutoshi Nakajima

  2. EP. Tech Co., Ltd, 2-4-1 Shiroganecho, Hitachi, Ibaraki, 317-0056, Japan

    Yoshihiro Wada

  3. Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennoudai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8572, Japan

    Mitsutoshi Nakajima

Authors
  1. Isao Kobayashi
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  2. Yoshihiro Wada
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  3. Kunihiko Uemura
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  4. Mitsutoshi Nakajima
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Correspondence to Isao Kobayashi or Mitsutoshi Nakajima.

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Kobayashi, I., Wada, Y., Uemura, K. et al. Generation of uniform drops via through-hole arrays micromachined in stainless-steel plates. Microfluid Nanofluid 5, 677–687 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10404-008-0278-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10404-008-0278-4

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