Microreactors
“Microreactors are known as small-sized chemical devices of a three-dimensional structure utilizing a phenomenon in a microscopic space for reaction or mixing. The microreactor includes reactors and mixers having plural microscopic flow channels (hereinafter referred to as "a microchannel", or "microchannels").” (Teshima et al; US Patent 7,528,182 5/5/2009)
Recent US Patents
5/5/2009
7,528,182
Process for Producing Colorant Dispersoid
Teshima et al of Canon, Japan, produceda colorant by mixing a coloring material and a block copolymer in a flow channel of a microreactor to obtain a colorant dispersion. The flow-mixing channel may have a cross-sectional area of not less than 0.5 mm.sup.2, and the ratio of the total cross-sectional areas of flow channels connected with the flow-mixing channel to the cross-sectional area of the flow-mixing channel ranges from 0.01 to 0.1, and a rectangular cross-section having a ratio of a flow channel depth to a flow channel width of not less than 0.5. (RDC 3/14/2011)
Recent Journal Articles
Mixing in tangentially crossing microchannels
(571–580) AIChE Journal 57 #3 (2011)
Lee and Chen of the National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan demonstrated that effective mixing can be achieved in simple and regular crossing channels. The dynamical processes combining split-and-recombine and chaotic mixing elements of stretching and folding were discussed. In channels with simple turns (up/down/right/left), flow could be stretched; on the other hand, tangential crossings could yield folding. Theoretically, repeating stretching and folding then result in the increase of interfacial area and decrease of striation thickness which facilitate the eventual mixing by diffusion. Practically, the structural sequence of turning and/or crossing affects the performance of the mixing. Three types of micromixers were studied, and the simulated performance was favorably compared with the published data. (RDC 2/10/2011)