Controlling the size of fragrance microcapsules using designed agitator paddles: Experiment and CFD simulation--颗粒学报PARTICUOLOGY

Zhao, H., Fei, X., Zhang, B., Zhao, S., Li, G., & Cao, L. (2019). Controlling the size of fragrance microcapsules using designed agitator paddles: Experiment and CFD simulation. Particuology, 43, 38-45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.partic.2017.12.008

Controlling the size of fragrance microcapsules using designed agitator paddles: Experiment and CFD simulation

Hongbin Zhao ^a, Xuening Fei ^{a b *}, Baolian Zhang ^c, Shuxing Zhao ^d, Guangmin Li ^b, Lingyun Cao ^b *

a School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China
b School of Science, Tianjin Chengjian University, Tianjin 300384, China
c School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin Chengjian University, Tianjin 300384, China d School of Energy and Safety Engineering, Tianjin Chengjian University, Tianjin 300384, China

10.1016/j.partic.2017.12.008

Volume 43, April 2019, Pages 38-45

Received 12 October 2017, Revised 21 November 2017, Accepted 12 December 2017, Available online 19 May 2018, Version of Record 19 February 2019.

E-mail: fxn@tcu.edu.cn; caolingyun@tcu.edu.cn

Highlights

• The control of microcapsule size was realized by a designed agitator paddle system.

• Effects of stirring speed and reactor dimension on prepared microcapsule size were studied.

• Flow field in different agitator paddle systems was investigated by CFD.

• Average fluid velocity was negatively-linearly correlated with average microcapsule size.

Abstract

Controlling the size of fragrance microcapsules using designed agitator paddles was investigated and studied by CFD simulation. First, different fluid flows were established by varying stirring speeds, reactor scales, and agitator paddle design, and the effects of each on particle size and distribution of prepared microcapsules were determined. The experimental results showed that the pattern design of orifices in the plate paddles control the flow field well. Narrow particle-size distributions of the microcapsules were obtained. The fluid flow characteristics including fluid velocity field, turbulent kinetic energy field, and shear stress distribution for the different agitator paddle types in different reaction kettles were simulated using CFD technology. The correlations between simulated data and experimental results were analyzed. Significantly, the simulated average flow velocity was found to show good negative linear correlation with the average particle size of prepared microcapsules, with a correlation of y = –2.166x + 42.626.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Fragrance microcapsule; Melamine-formaldehyde; Particle size; Orifice stirring paddle; CFD simulation

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