Described here are apparatuses and methods for producing a composition comprising nano-bubbles dispersed in a liquid carrier. One such method includes flowing a liquid carrier from an inlet through at least two channels each including a triboelectric material, including flowing the liquid carrier such that a Reynolds number of the flow of the liquid carrier through the at least two channels is less than 3000. Flowing the liquid carrier through the at least two channels produces vibrational energy that causes: (i) the liquid carrier to contact the triboelectric material such that an electric charge is generated in the triboelectric material; and (ii) the liquid carrier to separate from the triboelectric material such that the electric charge is discharged to the liquid carrier to form nano-bubbles dispersed in the liquid carrier.

A system for continuously processing a combination of materials includes a continuous process vessel having an outlet and one or more inlets. The continuous process vessel is configured to oscillate along an oscillation axis. An acoustic agitator is coupled to the continuous process vessel. The acoustic agitator is configured to oscillate the continuous process vessel along the oscillation axis. An outlet passage is in fluid communication with the outlet. At least a portion of the outlet passage or at least a portion of the continuous process vessel is disposed within a portion of the acoustic agitator.

A system for continuously processing materials. The system includes a continuous process vessel (CPV) and an acoustic agitator coupled to the CPV and configured to agitate the CPV along an oscillation axis. The CPV includes at least one inlet configured for introducing first and second process ingredients into an upper portion, with respect to the oscillation axis, of the CPV. The CPV includes an outlet for discharging the product of mixing the ingredients from a lower portion, with respect to the oscillation axis, of the CPV. The CPV includes a plurality of mixing regions, each defined by an upper angled surface and a lower angled surface. The surfaces of each mixing region are angled such that the distance between the surfaces is greater towards the upper portion of the continuous process vessel than the distance between the surfaces towards the lower portion of the continuous process vessel.

A tubular reactor or mixer comprising a tube which can be rotated in reciprocating arcs about its longitudinal axis provided with removable mixing elements (5) within the reactor wherein means (2) are provided to retain the mixing elements within the tubular mixer or reactor so that they move with the movement of the mixer or reactor, the tube preferably also contains mixing elements (7) that are free and do not move with the reciprocation of the tube; processes using the reactor or mixer are included.

A continuous mixer/reactor and a mixing process are provided in which materials flow in an orderly fashion along the length of a channel (9) and the materials are mixed in a direction transverse to the axis of the channel (9) by the provision of agitator elements (5, 7) within the channel (9) and shaking the channel (9) so that the agitator elements (5, 7) move within the channel (9) in the radial direction of the channel (9).

An apparatus comprising: a vessel component comprising a flow-through interior chamber having an interior sidewall and an exterior sidewall; at least two inlets for introducing chemical components into the flow-through interior chamber; at least one outlet for removing product from the flow-through interior chamber; and an off center rotation component which is operatively connected to the vessel component. During operation of the apparatus, the off center rotation component generates vortical movement of at least two chemical components through the flow-through interior chamber of the vessel, and converts at least a portion of the at least two chemical components to at least one reaction product or product mixture. A method of using the apparatus to produce reaction products or product mixtures. The apparatus and method are useful for producing specialty chemicals such as fragrance and flavor compounds, insect pheromones, petrochemicals, pharmaceutical compounds, agrichemical compounds, and the like.

A microfluidic droplet system that employs flow-focusing methods to generate droplets of desired sizes for encapsulating particles, cells or beads. The microfluidic droplet system can comprise an air cavity that can be vibrated to reduce trapping of cells or beads in flow-focusing regions of the microfluidic droplet systems thereby increasing the encapsulation efficiency of the cells/beads.

A continuous acoustic chemical microreactor system is disclosed. The system includes a continuous process vessel (CPV) and an acoustic agitator coupled to the CPV and configured to agitate the CPV along an oscillation axis. The CPV includes a reactant inlet configured to receive one or more reactants into the CPV, an elongated tube coupled at a first end to the reactant inlet and configured to receive the reactants from the reactant inlet, and a product outlet coupled to a second end of the elongated tube and configured to discharge a product of a chemical reaction among the reactants from the CPV. The acoustic agitator is configured to agitate the CPV along the oscillation axis such that the inner surface of the elongated tube accelerates the one or more reactants in alternating upward and downward directions along the oscillation axis.

As described herein, there is a polymer dispersion system comprising: (a) a first sub-system for transporting a fluid; (b) a modular unit for transporting dry materials; (c) a mixing device in fluid communication with the egress of the first sub-system and the egress of the modular unit; (d) a tank assembly comprising an ingress and an egress, the ingress of the tank assembly being in fluid communication with an egress of the mixing device; and (e) a transfer sub-system comprising an ingress that is coupled to the egress of the tank assembly. The modular unit may comprise a platform constructed of a frame and a first conveying unit. The platform comprises a conduit comprising a conduit inlet and a conduit outlet, a plurality of sealing mechanisms disposed around the platform inlet, and a vibrator. The first conveying unit in fluid communication with the conduit outlet.

A system for enhancing diesel fuel combustion; including: a liquid diesel fuel source; a hydrogen gas source; an oxygen source; and either (a) a mixer configured with inputs to receive each of the liquid diesel fuel, hydrogen gas and oxygen gas therein, wherein the mixer is a cylindrical container having an entrance funnel and an exit funnel, or (b) tube infuser having a liquid-gas mixing chamber with a volume up to 10 Gal, and a dwell time from gas additive/fuel mixing in the range of 15 minutes. Passive and active agitation structures are also included to facilitate mixing.