PREDICTION OF VINYL-CHLORIDE DROP SIZES IN STABILIZED LIQUID-LIQUID AGITATED DISPERSION

Drop sizes and drop size distributions have been determined for stabil ised dispersions oi vinyl chloride (VCM) in agitated aqueous solutions of hydrolysed poly(vinyl acetate). For this system, where drop sizes depend on breakage (rather than on coalescence), experimental measurem ents confirm the assumptions that the Sauter mean drop diameter is pro portional to the maximum drop diameter. Increases in volume fraction o f the dispersed phase lead to widening of the drop size distribution. When the agitator speed is reduced, the size distribution changes from monomodal to multimodal. By using estimates of interfacial tension an d dispersion density, a complete relationship between drop size, volum e fraction of VCM and Weber number is obtained. Copyright (C) 1996 Els evier Science Ltd.