Sustainable Surfactant and Formulation Engineering via Microflow Chemical Pulses

动态光散射是一种成熟的技术，用于表征各种系统的跨国扩散系数，包括生物结构，胶体悬浮液和表面活性剂溶液。然而，它的缺点是显而易见的，当进行实验时，样品必须单独制作并装入仪器中。最近的工作一直针对仪器设置的发展进行光散射测量下的流动，显示出非常有前途的结果。最初，这项工作的目的是建立在这些研究的基础上，开发一个类似的设置，实现可编程的样品注射，微流体配方，和一个光散射装置，用于在线配制，混合和测量的模型cleaningsolutions.Cleaningproducts用于日常生活中，从洗手和洗碗，洗衣粉。这些溶液都利用表面活性剂分子作为表面活性组分，用于从目标区域去除油和脂肪基质，产生微乳液。虽然已经有很多关于微乳液的物理性质和动力学的工作，但是对清洁产品中的组分如何影响清洁效率的理解还不是很清楚。通过将快速配制和混合与光散射测量相结合，本项目的主要目的是确定表面活性剂的组成和化学结构对其乳化油和脂肪的有效性的影响。溶液初步结果表明，将用于本研究的定制光散射装置能够重现市售仪器的结果。

Dynamic light scattering is a well established technique in the characterisation of transnational diffusion coefficients for a variety of systems including biological structures, colloidal suspensions, and surfactant solutions. However, its shortcomings are evident when carrying out experiments, as samples have to be individually made and loaded into the apparatus.Recent work has been aimed at the development of instrumental setups to carry out light scattering measurements under flow, showing very promising results. Initially, this work aims to build on these studies to develop a similar setup implementing programmable sample injection, a microfluidic formulator, and a light scattering apparatus for inline formulation, mixing, and measurement of model cleaning solutions.Cleaning products are used in everyday lives from hand and dish washing, to laundry detergents. These solutions all utilise surfactant molecules as the surface active component for the removal of oil and fatty substrates from the area of interest, producing microemulsions. Although there has been much work on the physical properties and dynamics of microemulsions, an understanding on how the components in a cleaning product effect the effciency in cleaning, is not very well understood.By coupling rapid formulation and mixing to light scattering measurements, the main aim of this project is to determine the effect of composition and chemical structure of surfactants to their effectiveness in emulsifying oily and fatty solution. Initial results show that the custom light scattering apparatus which will be used for this study is able to reproduce results from commercially available instruments.