Experimental and model analysis of membrane permeance in cross-flow multi-channel membrane emulsification

Membrane emulsification has many applications in food emulsions, cosmetics, controlled release systems for pharmaceuticals, and the preparation of nanoparticles. Membrane permeance is a key parameter that directly determines the design and processing capacity of the system. However, establishing an accurate model to describe the relationship between membrane permeance and related factors remains challenging. Herein, the variation pattern of membrane permeance in a cross-flow multi-channel membrane emulsification system under emulsifier-free conditions was investigated through experiments and a model. Membrane permeance strongly depended on the membrane pore size, transmembrane pressure, and oil–water interfacial tension. A prediction model of the membrane permeance for the cross-flow multi-channel membrane emulsification process was established based on the empirical model with a relative error of ±10 %. The established model can be used to predict the optimal membrane pore size for a given membrane permeance under different operating conditions.