Spontaneous Transfer of Droplets across a Microfluidic Liquid-Liquid Interface.

The droplet transfer across an interface in a microchannel is extensively utilized in diverse fields; however, it is challenging to drive droplets to penetrate the interface at such a small scale. In this study, a novel flow pattern of droplet transfer is observed and the mechanism is investigated; accordingly, an accurate prediction equation for determining the critical condition of droplet transfer is proposed. Meanwhile, the liquid film entrainment is also observed, which leads to the formation of an oil-in-water-in-water system. This study serves as a valuable reference for further studies on the mechanism of droplet transfer and provides practical guidance for its industrial application.

Formation of Droplets of Shear-Thinning Non-Newtonian Fluids in Asymmetrical Parallelized Microchannels.

Fluids containing polymers are frequently utilized in the chemical industry and exhibit shear-thinning characteristics. The flow distribution of non-Newtonian fluids in parallelized microchannels is a key issue to be solved during numbering-up. Numbering-up means increasing the number of parallelized microchannels. In this study, a high-speed camera is used to explore the distribution of fluid flow as well as the uniformity and stability of droplets in conceptual asymmetrical parallelized microchannels. Cyclohexane and carboxymethylcellulose sodium (CMC) aqueous solutions are used as the continuous phase and dispersed phase, respectively. The effects of fluctuation of pressure difference around the T-junction, the hydrodynamic resistance in microchannels, and the shear-thinning property of fluids on flow distribution and droplet formation are revealed. The uniformity and stability of droplets in microdevices with various cavity settings are compared, and an optimal configuration is proposed. Finally, prediction models for the flow distribution of shear-thinning fluids in asymmetrical parallelized microchannels are established.

Coalescence of a Ferrofluid Drop at Its Bulk Surface with or without a Magnetic Field.

The coalescence of a ferrofluid drop at its bulk surface, with or without a magnetic field, was investigated experimentally by a high-speed camera. Shape deformations of both the pendant ferrofluid drop and the bulk surface in the axial direction were observed during the approaching process even in the absence of a magnetic field. The angle of the upper pendant peak at the first contact decreases with the magnetic flux density, while the lower ferrofluid peak displays an opposite trend. The coalescing width of the ferrofluid drop follows a power-law relationship. The exponent of 0.64 under medium and high magnetic fields as well as the case without magnetic field confirms the inertial regime of drop coalescence. Under the low magnetic field, the significant exponent increasing from 0.59 to 3.02 at about 4 ms is in coincidence with the sudden change to a smooth coalescing section according to the visualized images. A high-speed microparticle image velocimetry (micro-PIV) technique was employed with a transparent model fluid to reveal the flow fields during the drop coalescence instead of opaque ferrofluids.

Initial coalescence of a drop at a planar liquid surface.

The initial coalescence of a pendant drop at bulk liquid was jointly investigated by an ultrahigh-speed DC electrical device, a high-speed camera, and a fast micro-Particle Image Velocimetry (micro-PIV). Extended to highly viscous non-Newtonian liquids, the variation of the coalescing width vs time confirms the distinct regimes reported for drop-drop configuration: linear in the inertially limited viscous regime; square root in the inertial regime; possibly a transient viscous regime in between with a logarithmic correction. The measured flow fields during coalescence reveal the transformation of surface energy to kinetic energy, so that the highly located inertia could play a dominant role in relation to the viscous force.

Self-Sustained Coalescence-Breakup Cycles of Ferrodrops under a Magnetic Field.

The self-sustained coalescence-breakup cycles of ferrodrops were investigated for the first time by a high-speed camera under various magnetic fields. Under an axial magnetic field, the upper ferrodrop would deform into a conic shape before coalescing with the bottom ferropeak. Within 0.2 ms after coalescence, the minimum width of the expanding neck obeys a power-law relationship with time, while the exponents increase with the magnetic field and deviate with a decreasing trend in the later coalescence. The cone angle of the upper ferrodrop before coalescence gradually decreases while it increases before breakup with the magnetic field. A critical magnetic field around 35 mT was reported, above which the ferrofluid column undergoes the periodic phenomenon of coalescence and breakup. The frequency for the whole coalescence-breakup cycle increases exponentially with the applied magnetic field. A simplified force balance allows capturing the periodic mechanism involved in this driven harmonic oscillator.

Dynamics of bubble breakup at a T junction.

The gas-liquid interfacial dynamics of bubble breakup in a T junction was investigated. Four regimes were observed for a bubble passing through the T junction. It was identified by the stop flow that a critical width of the bubble neck existed: if the minimum width of the bubble neck was less than the critical value, the breakup was irreversible and fast; while if the minimum width of the bubble neck was larger than the critical value, the breakup was reversible and slow. The fast breakup was driven by the surface tension and liquid inertia and is independent of the operating conditions. The minimum width of the bubble neck could be scaled with the remaining time as a power law with an exponent of 0.22 in the beginning and of 0.5 approaching the final fast pinch-off. The slow breakup was driven by the continuous phase and the gas-liquid interface was in the equilibrium stage. Before the appearance of the tunnel, the width of the depression region could be scaled with the time as a power law with an exponent of 0.75; while after that, the width of the depression was a logarithmic function with the time.