ABSTRACT
The microdevices utilized in engineering for process intensification and are becoming effective platforms for liquid-liquid or gas-liquid mass transfer [1, 2]. It is the science of designing, manufacturing, and formulating devices with an internal diameter in the range of µm, with volumetric flow rate in the range of µl/min. The equivalent hydraulic diameters of the microfluidic devices are up to a few hundreds of micrometers which can provide large surface-to-volume ratio and short mass transfer distance [3]. Microfluidic technology has also demonstrated its advantages such as, lightweight, compact, inherent miniaturization and portability, intensification of heat and mass transfer [4] and less reaction time, high throughput and low consumption of reagents, and stable laminar flow, even at high shear rates. It is reported that, the mass transfer coefficient in microscale dispersion extraction process can be 10-100 times larger than that in conventional extraction columns [5]. Mass transfer process can be completed in several seconds [6]. Due to the small diameters of the channels and the high specific surface area, high mass transfer performance can be achieved in the microchannels.
