Dynamics of non-Newtonian droplet breakup with partial obstruction in microfluidic Y-junction

Numerical Analysis of Droplet Impacting on an Immiscible Liquid via Three-Phase Field Method

In this work, we establish a two-dimensional axisymmetric simulation model to numerically study the impacting behaviors between oil droplets and an immiscible aqueous solution based on the three-phase field method. The numerical model is established by using the commercial software of COMSOL Multiphysics first and then validated by comparing the numerical results with the previous experimental study. The simulation results show that under the impact of oil droplets, a crater will form on the surface of the aqueous solution, which firstly expands and then collapses with the transfer and dissipation of kinetic energy of this three-phase system. As for the droplet, it flattens, spreads, stretches, or immerses on the crater surface and finally achieves an equilibrium state at the gas-liquid interface after experiencing several sinking-bouncing circles. The impacting velocity, fluid density, viscosity, interfacial tension, droplet size, and the property of non-Newtonian fluids all play important roles in the impact between oil droplets and aqueous solution. The conclusions can help to cognize the mechanism of droplet impact on an immiscible fluid and provide useful guidelines for those applications concerning droplet impact.

Flexible on-chip droplet generation, switching and splitting via controllable hydrodynamics

Flexible droplet preparation and manipulation are significant for lots applications such as immunoreaction and monocellular culture. Herein, we present a novel method for effective on-chip droplet generation, splitting and switching via controllable hydrodynamics. The microchannel of the designed chip has 6 inlets and 3 three outlets. The water solution is injected from a specific inlet (inlet d), and the other 5 inlets are used to inject oil fluids. Under the shearing effect of immiscible oils, the water phase breaks into dispersed droplets first, and the generated droplets can be further split into daughter drops or switched into side outlets from the middle outlet. To investigate the hydrodynamic droplet manipulation behaviors, a two-dimensional simulation model based on phase-field method is established. Utilizing the computational model, we systematically analyze the influences of the flow rates of continuous and dispersed fluids and the manipulation modes on droplet generation, splitting and switching. The numerical results indicate that the droplets can be generated with controlled sizes. For instance, at Q_d = 5 μL/min and Q_c1,2 = 5 μL/min, the droplet diameter decreases from 89.2 μm to 49.2 μm as Q_s1,2 gradually rises from 15 μL/min to 40 μL/min. Moreover, the prepared droplets can realize on-demand splitting and switching. When Q_d, Q_c1,2, and Qs_1,2 are fixed at 5 μL/min, 5 μL/min and 25 μL/min, respectively, the generated droplet is split into different proportional daughter drops with the rising of Q_s3 (or Q_s4) at first, and finally it is switched into the side-outlets when Q_s3 (or Q_s4) is higher than 80 μL/min. Therefore, this proposed droplet manipulation approach will be promising for various applications, and the numerical simulations can provide useful guidelines on the design and operation of droplet-based microfluidic systems.

Accelerating Effects of Flow Behavior Index n on Breakup Dynamics for Droplet Evolution in Non-Newtonian Fluids

This paper studied the evolution of NaAlg solution micro-droplet in a coaxial microchannel. The Bird–Carreau model was used to characterize the flow properties of NaAlg solution. As the mass fraction decreased, the flow behavior index n also decreased, indicating that the NaAlg solution was increasingly shear-thinning. There were three stages during the micro-droplet evolution, which were the growth stage, the squeezing stage, and the pinch-off stage. This paper led the flow behavior index n to estimate the effects of rheological property on the breakup dynamics of micro-droplet. We proposed two new prediction models of the minimum neck width w_m which were affected by |n| in the squeezing and pinch-off stages for the non-Newtonian fluids. In addition, this paper indicated the rate ratio Q_d/Q_c was another factor on the w_m model in the squeezing stage and the H(λ) of Stokes mechanism was a function governed by |n|² in the pinch-off stage.

Hydrodynamics of electro-capillarity propelled non-Newtonian droplets through micro-confinements

In this article, we theoretically explore the dynamics of droplet motion and its evolution during electro-capillarity propelled actuation within microfluidic systems. The study covers a wide gamut of fluids, wherein we investigate the dynamics of both pseudoplastic and dilatant fluid droplets. It is observed that change in the fluid rheology of the non-Newtonian fluids leads to significant morphing of the droplet dynamics during the actuation and propulsion event when compared to the Newtonian counterparts. We validate the theory using experimental reports on similar systems employing Newtonian droplets. The influence of governing parameters such as the actuation voltage and its transients, dielectric layer thickness on the electrodes and electrode spacing is probed. We also explore the influence of the interfacial properties of the system, such as channel wall friction, droplet wettability, and capillary friction, and establish that the fluid rheology, in conjunction with the interfacial features regulate the electro-actuation and propulsion of the droplets. We further provide theoretical estimates on the optimal design of the electro-actuation system in terms of a proposed electro-interfacial tension parameter. The findings may hold significance towards design and development of microfluidics with electro-actuation systems.