Integrated membrane processes for the preparation of emulsions, particles, and bubbles

This chapter deals with integrated membrane processes for the preparation of emulsions, particles and bubbles. The second section provides an overview of membrane microfluidic processes for production and modification of liquid-liquid and gas-liquid micro- and nanodispersions, such as direct and premix membrane emulsification with and without phase inversion, membrane-based phase separation in emulsions, micromixing, and micro- and nano-bubbling. The next sections are focused on the fabrication, properties, and operation of Shirasu Porous Glass (SPG) and microengineered membranes used for the preparation of emulsions. The integration of membrane emulsification and dowstream processing for preparation of microparticles and nanoparticles was discussed in sections 8 and 10, respectively. It was shown that a broad range of different chemical and physicochemical processes can be combined with membrane emulsification to convert droplets into uniform particle of different morphologies, such as matrix-type and core/shell capsules, Janus (bifacial) particles, and non-spherical particles. The main emphasis in section 8 was put on microgels, solid lipid particles and synthetic biodegradable particles. The last section briefly discusses generation of micro- and nano-bubbles using microporus membrane.