Output details

Mixing patterns in water plugs during water/ionic liquid segmented flow in microchannels

Extractions are common in process industries but involve harmful organic solvents. Ionic liquids offer a green alternative to organic solvents but their use has been limited by high costs. Intensified, small-scale extractors require reduced amounts of solvent and will help the industrial uptake of ionic liquids. In the work carried out under a RAEng/Leverhulme Trust Fellowship micro-extractors for ionic liquids were characterised with advanced flow diagnostics techniques. The experimental approaches formed an essential part of a successful EPSRC Programme Grant. The microextractors are used in separations relevant to nuclear waste management. This work has led to two collaborative proposals with a number of universities and NNL on nuclear waste processing using innovative technologies and to an invitation to edit a special issue of ChERD.