US 12,420,282 B2
Microchannel device, and high-oil-load microcapsule and method for preparing the same using the microchannel device
Yikun Liu, Nanchang (CN); Xing Chen, Nanchang (CN); Wei Liu, Nanchang (CN); Yuan Wang, Nanchang (CN); and Liqiang Zou, Nanchang (CN)
Assigned to Nanchang University, Nanchang (CN)
Filed by Nanchang University, Nanchang (CN)
Filed on Jul. 10, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/349,400.
Claims priority of application No. 202210839003.9 (CN), filed on Jul. 18, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0347348 A1, Nov. 2, 2023
Int. Cl. B01L 3/00 (2006.01); B01J 13/02 (2006.01); B01J 13/20 (2006.01)
CPC B01L 3/502769 (2013.01) [B01J 13/025 (2013.01); B01J 13/203 (2013.01); B01L 2300/0681 (2013.01); B01L 2300/0867 (2013.01); B01L 2300/1894 (2013.01); B01L 2400/0409 (2013.01)] 4 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of preparing an oil-loading microcapsule using a microchannel device, the microchannel device comprising:
a homogenization chamber; and
a microchannel reaction chamber;
wherein the homogenization chamber comprises an aqueous phase feed pipe, an oil phase feed pipe, a first high-pressure acceleration pipe, a second high-pressure acceleration pipe, and a mixing pipe; an inlet end of the first high-pressure acceleration pipe is connected to the aqueous phase feed pipe, and an outlet end of the first high-pressure acceleration pipe is connected to the mixing pipe; an inlet end of the second high-pressure acceleration pipe is connected to the oil phase feed pipe, and an outlet end of the second high-pressure acceleration pipe is connected to the mixing pipe; an inner diameter of the first high-pressure acceleration pipe is smaller than that of the aqueous phase feed pipe, and an inner diameter of the second high-pressure acceleration pipe is smaller than that of the oil phase feed pipe;
the microchannel reaction chamber comprises at least one reaction flow channel; the at least one reaction flow channel each comprises at least two microchannels communicated in sequence; each of the at least two microchannels comprises an inner tube and an outer tube; and a space between the inner tube and the outer tube is configured for fluid flowing; and
the method comprises:
(S1) mixing an alcohol-soluble protein and a hydrocolloid followed by dispersion, alkalinity regulation, and centrifugal filtration to obtain an aqueous phase mixture; and preparing an oil phase;
(S2) feeding the aqueous phase mixture into the homogenization chamber through the aqueous phase feed pipe, and feeding the oil phase into the homogenization chamber through the oil phase feed pipe; dispersing the aqueous phase mixture through the first high-pressure acceleration pipe, and dispersing the oil phase through the second high-pressure acceleration pipe and mixing the aqueous phase mixture and the oil phase in the mixing pipe to form a first emulsion;
(S3) cooling the first emulsion;
(S4) adjusting the first emulsion to pH 6.5-7.5 with dilute hydrochloric acid; allowing the first emulsion to flow into the microchannel reaction chamber to undergo dispersion and mixing such that the alcohol-soluble protein in the aqueous phase mixture undergoes interfacial coacervation to embed the oil phase, thereby obtaining a second emulsion with a core-shell structure;
(S5) removing Na+ and Cl− from the second emulsion; and
(S6) drying the second emulsion to obtain the oil-loading microcapsule in a powder form.