Mastersizer aids development of new emulsion manufacturing method at Leeds university

Engineering Colloid Group pioneers novel process

Emulsions are of growing significance in the pharmaceutical, cosmetics, toiletries and food industries. Current production methods, however, are relatively inefficient, prone to scale-up problems and can suffer unreliable batch to batch reproducibility in large-scale manufacture.

At the University of Leeds in the UK, the Engineering Colloid Group led by Professor Richard Williams is working with industrial partners on the development of a new emulsion manufacturing method known as Crossflow Membrane Emulsification (XME). Critical to the success of this development has been the ability to measure droplet size distributions easily, initially using the Malvern Mastersizer S, and more recently the new Mastersizer 2000.

In pilot scale work on oil in water emulsions, the group used the Mastersizer S for fine measurement of droplet size distribution on samples taken regularly during the emulsification process. Subsequent work has been undertaken using the Mastersizer 2000 which was selected for its ability to measure reliably across a wide range of particle sizes, from 0.02µm to 2000µm.  The Mastersizer 2000 also works to user-defined Standard Operating Procedures, ensuring consistent sample handling and measurement whichever operator makes the analysis, and allowing the instrument to be used with minimal training.

Industrial scale production of emulsions using Crossflow Membrane Emulsification is now underway and it is expected to find widespread application in a range of manufacturing industries.

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