This paper presents an experimental study of pressure drop of single-phase flow and liquid-liquid dispersion through a Sulzer SMX mixer in the turbulent flow regime. Emulsification experiments are performed with various numbers of mixing elements from 2 to 20 and different flow rates ranging from 204 to 600 L/h. Pressure drop in single phase flow when Re is greater than 800 is modeled using a correlation based on the Blasius approach. The pressure drop is quantified at high Reynolds numbers for a liquid-liquid system. The droplet size distribution evolves along the mixer, and 10 mixing elements are required to reach break-up coalescence equilibrium in the case of emulsification experiments. Finally, assuming Kolmogorov's theory of isotropic turbulence, a new correlation is established to predict the Sauter mean diameter in this mixing device as a function of the Reynolds and Weber numbers as well as the number of mixing elements.

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The aim of this paper is to investigate the influence of physico-chemical parameters on liquid-liquid dispersion at high dispersed phase concentration in Sulzer SMV TM mixer. Four different oil-in-water systems involving two different surfactants are used in order to evaluate the effect of interfacial tension, densities and viscosities ratio on mean droplets size diameters. Moreover the influence of the dispersed phase concentration on the pressure drop as well as on the droplet size distribution is investigated. Two different droplets size distribution analysis techniques are used in order to compare the resulting Sauter mean diameters. The comparison between residence time in the mixer and surfactants adsorption kinetics leads to take into account the evolution of the interfacial tension between both phases at short times. Finally experimental results are correlated as a function of dimensionless Reynolds and Weber numbers.