Multiphase mixing for pickering emulsions and emusifications models

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The mixing operations and related technologies are considered mature in terms of knowledge and science. However, even today, process losses originating from mixing inefficiencies results in billion dollars losses from out-of-specs products, poor selectivity in chemical reactions, undesirable by-products, ... Research in multiphase mixing, a core chemical engineering science allowing for the production of new (nano-) materials and high-performance products, will help increase the Canadian leading position in the engineering field. Alberta currently digs 1.2Mbbl per day and the challenge related to the transportation of this huge quantity cannot be neglected in view of the soaring building costs in Calgary and Edmonton. Adding to this already difficult situation, the production is planned to increase to 2.4 Mbbl/d in 2015. Eastern Canada refineries are currently gearing up to refine extra-heavy oil but the current oil transportation system is still not adequate. Transporting the oil after emulsification is a new technology that offers many advantages but requires additional research. Many emulsion polymerization processes involve the presence of solid particles at the oil-water interface. They also involve emulsion phase inversion that is a crucial step in the final products quality and is often the cause of out-of-spec products. If the agitation of the emulsion has been shown to exert a strong influence on the final product, the solids presence at the interface has not been studied yet and further investigation of the phase inversion in presence of solids will be beneficial to yield improvements and product quality.