Hydrodynamics and mass-transfer properties of alkane-water liquid-liquid system in a microchannel

Microchemical devices offer significant advantages for liquid-liquid systems; however, microscale transport in alkane-water systems with large interfacial tension remains poorly understood. This study investigates the dodecane-water system in microchannels to reveal previously unreported aspects of droplet formation, hydrodynamics, and mass transfer. The results demonstrate that droplet size is governed by the interplay between shear and interfacial forces, as well as the flow rate of the dispersed phase, highlighting behaviors not observed in conventional systems. The volumetric mass-transfer coefficient is also determined and correlated with dimensionless numbers. The superficial mass-transfer coefficient was further extracted from experimental results and shown to be strongly influenced by internal convection within slugs. These findings provide new insights into microscale transport phenomena and offer guidance for the optimization of microchemical processes in alkane-water systems.