Emulsification in High‐Pressure Homogenizers

High‐pressure homogenizers are frequently employed for the homogenization of low‐viscosity emulsions containing a proportion of disperse phase which is not too high. High‐pressure homogenizers essentially consist of a high‐pressure pump and a homogenizing nozzle. The design of the homogenizing nozzle influences the flow of the emulsion in the nozzle itself and hence the results of droplet disruption. It is shown which mechanism in frequently used homogenizing nozzles is usually responsible for disruption. Experimental results reveal the effects of the dispersed phase content and the viscosity of the disperse and continuous phases in different nozzles. The results can be explained on the basis of the mechanisms of disruption. Finally, the homogenizing nozzles presented are directly compared with one another.