TITLE:
Application of a Particle Extraction Process at the Interface of Two Liquids in a Drop Column—Consideration of the Process Behavior and Kinetic Approach
AUTHORS:
Jacqueline V. Erler, Tom Leistner, Urs A. Peuker
KEYWORDS:
Magnetite, Nanoparticles, Particle Extraction, Drop Column, Ricinoleic Acid, Oleic Acid
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Chemical Engineering and Science,
Vol.4 No.2,
April
14,
2014
ABSTRACT: The focus
of this research is a new type of particle extraction process for the transfer
of magnetite nanoparticles from an aqueous to an immiscible organic phase,
directly through the liquid-liquid phase boundary in a drop column. The
particle extraction process comprises several advantages such as a minimum
amount of stabilizing surfactant, no exposure of the particles to a gas
atmosphere and with it the avoidance of sintering by capillary forces and a
high particle concentration in the receiving phase as well. The study presents
experimental results of the characterization of the process environment and the
transfer behavior in a drop column. The solution of surfactant in the
continuous phase has been investigated during a particle-free phase transfer
experiment including the measurements of the total organic carbon (TOC) content
and analysis of the size of the stabilized droplets using the laser diffraction
spectroscopy. The determination of the transfer fluxes, the mass flows as well
as the yield of transferred magnetite by ICP-OES measurements provide
information on the impact of interaction of the elementary processes at the
phase boundary. Furthermore, the transfer kinetics of the process is described
and compared with calculated theoretical values resulting from a kinetic
approach.