Abstract
Surfactants are commonly used in droplet-based microfluidics to stabilize the droplet interface. In this study, we investigate the effect of insoluble surfactant on drop formation in a capillary microfluidic device. We use a diffuse-interface method to describe the evolution of interface involving insoluble surfactant. The Navier-Stokes/Cahn-Hilliard equations and the surfactant conservation equation are solved by a finite element method along with a grid deformation method. As the surfactant has a non-uniform distribution during the drop formation in general, the surface tension has a gradient on the interface, which affects the flow field and interface evolution. The surfactant effect is discussed for dripping and jetting regimes.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
A. Günther, K.F. Jensen, Lab Chip 6, 1487 (2006)
S.-Y. Teh, R. Lin, L.-H. Hung, A.P. Lee, Lab Chip 8, 198 (2008)
J. Atencia, D.J. Beebe, Nature 437, 648 (2005)
M. Joanicot, A. Ajdari, Science 309, 887 (2005)
J.H. Xu, S.W. Li, J. Tan, Y.J. Wang, G.S. Luo, AIChE J 52, 3005 (2006)
S.L. Anna, N. Bontoux, H.A. Stone, Appl. Phys. Lett. 82, 364 (2003)
T. Nisisako, T. Torii, T. Higuchi, Lab Chip 2, 24 (2002)
L. Yobas, S. Martens, W.-L. Ong, N. Ranganathan, Lab Chip 6, 1073 (2006)
A. Sauret, H.C. Shum, Appl. Phys. Lett. 100, 154106 (2012)
W. Lee, L. M. Walker, S.L. Anna, Phys. Fluids 21, 032103 (2009)
W. Lee, L.M. Walker, S.L. Anna, Macromol. Mater. Eng. 296, 203 (2011)
E.D. Wilkes, S.D. Phillips, O.A. Basaran, Phys. Fluids 11, 3577 (1999)
M.J. Jensen, H.A. Stone, H. Bruus, Phys. Fluids 18, 077103 (2006)
M. De Menech, P. Garstecki, F. Jousse, H.A. Stone, J. Fluid Mech. 595, 141 (2008)
C. Zhou, P. Yue, J.J. Feng, Phys. Fluids 18, 092105 (2006)
J.M. Park, P.D. Anderson, Lab Chip 12, 2672 (2012)
J.-C. Baret, Lab Chip 12, 422 (2012)
Y. Pawar, K.J. Stebe, Phys. Fluids 8, 1738 (1996)
D.C. Tretheway, L.G. Leal, AIChE J. 45, 929 (1999)
I.B. Bazhlekov, P.D. Anderson, H.E.H. Meijer, J. Colloid Interface Sci. 298, 369 (2006)
H.A. Stone, L.G. Leal, J. Fluid Mech. 220, 161 (1990)
K.E. Teigen, P. Song, J. Lowengrub, A. Voigt, J. Comput. Phys. 230, 375 (2011)
H.A. Stone, Annu. Rev. Fluid Mech. 26, 65 (1994)
R.A. Johnson, A. Borhan, Phys. Fluids 12, 773 (2000)
M.A. Drumright-Klarke, Y. Renardy, Phys. Fluids 16, 14 (2004)
F. Jin, N.R. Gupta, K.J. Stebe, Phys. Fluid 18, 022103 (2006)
Y.W. Kruijt-Stegeman, F.N. van de Vosse, H.E.H. Meijer, Phys. Fluid 16, 2785 (2004)
Y.-C. Liao, E. I. Franses, O.A. Basaran, Phys. Fluid 18, 022101 (2006)
K.E. Teigen, X. Li, J. Lowengrub, F.W., A. Voigt, Commun. Math. Sci. 4, 1009 (2009)
J. Lowengrub, L. Truskinovsky, Proc. R. Soc. Lond. A 454, 2617 (1998)
H. Wong, D. Rumschitzki, C. Maldarelli, Phys. Fluid 8, 3203 (1996)
J.-J. Xu, Y. Yang, J. Lowengrub, J. Comput. Phys. 127, 5897 (2012)
M. Grajewski, M. Köster, S. Turek, SIAM J. Sci. Comput. 31, 1539 (2009)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Park, J., Hulsen, M. & Anderson, P. Numerical investigation of the effect of insoluble surfactant on drop formation in microfluidic device. Eur. Phys. J. Spec. Top. 222, 199–210 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1140/epjst/e2013-01835-x
Received:
Revised:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1140/epjst/e2013-01835-x