Patent ID: 6951892

Claim:
A method of preparing an alkaline size, alkenyl succinic anhydride (“ASA”) in an emulsion, said method comprising the steps of: A. supplying a liquid including at least ASA; B. feeding a portion of said liquid of step (A) to a first input of a manifold; C. feeding a first stream of emulsifier into a second input to said manifold, said liquid combining with said emulsifier within said manifold to form a second stream comprising a mixture of at least ASA and said emulsifier; D. feeding the second stream of step (C) through a mixing means which imparts energy to break down said ASA into particles and form an emulsion; E. dividing an outflow from said mixing means (i) through a recycling loop to at least a third input of said manifold to recycle said emulsion and (ii) to an output stream of said system, said output stream having a ratio of ASA to emulsifier set by the relative volumes of said streams of Step (C); and F. feeding said recycled emulsion of step (Ei) into said mixing means of step (D).