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Electroemulsification in a Uniform Electric Field
- Source :
- Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids. 32(1)
- Publication Year :
- 2015
-
Abstract
- Emulsification using electric fields is an easy alternative to flow-induced drop breakup, and the former is reported to be more effective and economical than the latter, especially when the medium phase is poorly conducting and highly viscous. The emulsification of a coarse water-in-oil emulsion in a uniform electric field is studied. We perform a detailed experimental analysis of the effect of applied electric field strength and the duration of applied electric field on the drop size distribution. The average diameter as well as the time for emulsification decreases with an increase in the intensity of the electric field. Moreover, a narrow size distribution is observed. An average size of a few microns of the dispersed phase could be achieved. New breakup mechanisms at play in the emulsification process are discussed. Identified mechanisms involve charged lobe disintegration, charged drop breakup, chain formation in which several water droplets are interconnected by thin water bridges, electrospraying and charge transfer, and coalescence. The study shows that charged drop disintegration could be the key mechanism of fine emulsification of an initially electrically neutral coarse emulsion.
- Subjects :
- Ionization
Materials science
Water Drops
Nanotechnology
02 engineering and technology
Coalescence
Emulsion-Phase Contactor
01 natural sciences
Charge
Mass-Transfer
Electric field
0103 physical sciences
Electrochemistry
General Materials Science
010306 general physics
Spectroscopy
Droplets
Coalescence (physics)
Drop size
Average diameter
Breakup
Drop (liquid)
Surfaces and Interfaces
Mechanics
021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology
Condensed Matter Physics
Deformation
Dynamics
Chain formation
Emulsion
0210 nano-technology
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 15205827
- Volume :
- 32
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....a55e14838cdab8e761e27688fe9a554f