Video technique for measuring dynamics of liquid‐liquid dispersion during phase inversion

Studies on the dynamics of phase inversion available offer limited information due to the difficulty of following the transient mean and drop-size distribution. A new technique developed provides such data. A stereo microscope with a very shallow depth of field attached to a video camera gives sharp images of droplets in intensely-agitated, immiscible liquid dispersions by using a Strobotach pulsing at the camera framing rate. Droplets from 40 μm upward at concentrations up to 70% by volume dispersed phase can be measured accurately. Droplets of continuous organic phase in aqueous drops can be seen. The pictures can be analyzed semiautomatically using a computer and in-house software to give, using a variety of discretizations, cumulative and frequency distributions to any base and any mean size. Means and distributions are a function of time for phase inversions generated in three ways. The technique gives a powerful tool for understanding fast, complex dispersion processes.