Dynamics of droplet breakup in a T-junction

The breakup of droplets due to creeping motion in a confined microchannel geometry is studied using three-dimensional numerical simulations. Analogously to unconfined droplets, there exist two distinct breakup phases: (i) a quasi-steady droplet deformation driven by the externally applied flow; and (ii) a surface-tension-driven three-dimensional...

Slow growth of the Rayleigh-Plateau instability in aqueous two phase systems

This paper studies the Rayleigh-Plateau instability for co-flowing immiscible aqueous polymer solutions in a microfluidic channel. Careful vibration-free experiments with controlled actuation of the flow allowed direct measurement of the growth rate of this instability. Experiments for the well-known aqueous two phase system (ATPS, or aqueous...

Formation and Transport of Bubbles in Microfluidic Systems

Precise manipulation of minute volumes of fluids is at the heart of microfluidics and opens up an exciting route to miniaturize processes in the areas of chemistry, biology and medicine. An attractive way to transport small fluid samples through the channels of microfluidic devices is by enclosing these samples inside containers in the form of...

Dynamics of droplet formation at T-shaped nozzles with elastic feed lines

We describe the formation of water in oil droplets, which are commonly used in lab-on-a-chip systems for sample generation and dosing, at microfluidic Tshaped nozzles from elastic feed lines. A narrow nozzle forms a barrier for a liquid–liquid interface, such that pressure can build up behind the nozzle up to a critical pressure. Above this...