Theme 1: Production, Characterization, Application

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Theme 1 Production, Characterization, Application
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Workshop 1.1 Emulsification processes and
equipment

• Statistics
• 27 communications (19 from academia 8 from
  industry)
•  Main work-streams 
• Microfluidic and membrane devices improving
• Rotor-stator (RS) and High pressure (HP)
  homogenizers - main interest to industry
• Process optimization and intensification
• Understanding the basic mechanisms. 
• Applying emulsion techniques to produce
  particles
•  Other methods are also tested ultrasound, thin
  film spinning, CO2 responsive emulsions

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• Noticeable results
• Intensification by emulsification at high
  internal phase (50-90 vol ).
• Simplified geometries of homogenizer heads with
  preserved high performance
• Significant step in increasing the microfluidic
  production (EDGE device, asymmetric plates).

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Workshop 1.2 Micro- and milli-fluidics applied to
emulsions

• Statistics
• 13 communications coming from academia
• Main work-streams
• Droplets formation and manipulation
• Understanding mechanisms
• Droplet formation well understood
• Coalescence mechanisms at the scale of some
  droplets ongoing activity
• Production of specific emulsions / particles
• Microflidics as a tool for characterization
  (interfacial rheology, viscosity)

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• Noticeable results
• New mechanism of drop formation in membrane
  emulsification hint for optimized pore geometry
• Tailored processes to achieve drop morphology
• Nano-channel emulsification (submicron droplets)
• In some cases - specific and high grade particles
  or droplet assemblies.
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• Main problem
• Still does not comply with industrial demands
•  

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Workshop 1.3 Physical stability, Rheology

• Statistics 
•  17 from academia and 13 from industry
• Remarks 
• Several companies offer instruments for stability
  and microrheology characterization (LUM,
  Formulaction, Malvern, .)
• Opaque systems can be characterized.
• Attempts to understand macroscopic stability by
  analysis of several structural levels (e.g.
  influence of surfactant structure on ripening and
  coalescence).

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• Perspectives
• Different versions of light scattering and
  optical microscopy analysis seem to be most
  versatile and found wide application.
• Commercial instruments for microrheology are
  already on the market

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Workshop 1.4 Interfaces and dynamic behaviours

• Statistics
• 20 communications from academia and 6 from
  industry
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• Main work-streams
• Characterization of complex mixtures - synergy
  (surfactant polymer, particles,
  cosurfactant)
• Improvement of instruments and data analysis for
  surface characterization
• High frequency (fast) processes
• Cationic surfactants for bitumen applications
• Bitumen stability and surface properties

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• Noticeable results
•  Clear distinction between the role of particles
  (as good stabilizers) and surfactants (as fast
  adsorbing emulsifiers)
• Progress in understanding the relation bitumen
  emulsion surface properties.

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Workshop 1.5 End use properties and innovative
industrial applications

• Statistics
• 10 contributions from academia and 9 from
  industry
• Remarks
• Interest in developing correlations between
  physical properties of emulsions and use
  properties
• Explore how to improve quality and end use
  properties with the help of systematic studies
• New insight into psycho-rheology (relation
  between physic-chemical properties and human
  perception) 

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Workshop 1.6 Bitumen emulsion and road material
properties

• Statistics
• 5 communications from academia and 16 from
  industry
• Main work-streams
•  Cold mixes
• Behavior of grave emulsion on jobsites
  evolution of mechanical properties and emulsifier
  binder
• Methodology to improve formulation and mix design
  
• Environment
• Warm mixed asphalt
• Microsurface
• Market studies