Emulsions are traditionally prepared
by batched emulsifying an oil phase and aqueous phase with a magnetic/mechanical
stirrer, homogenizer, or ultrasonic machine, etc. Herein, high internal
phase emulsions (HIPEs) produced with a miniature twin screw extruder
were first investigated. Adding an oil phase (the mixture of styrene,
divinylbenzene, and span 80) and aqueous phase to the inlet of a miniature
twin screw extruder, a series of white and viscous HIPEs were obtained
at the outlet of the extruder. With the screw rotation speed and the
surfactant content varied respectively in the ranges of 50–200
rpm and 5–20%, a series of HIPEs having uniform droplet size
were produced. Polymerizing these HIPEs caused a series of polymerized
HIPES, which have a well-defined open-cell structure. The method developed
herein shows that it is possible to prepare emulsions with oil and
water by twin screw extrusion. Also, it may also cause a continuous
preparation of HIPEs when the miniature twin screw extruder was replaced
by an industrial extruder.