Dynamic electrophoresis of droplet dispersions at low surface potentials

The dynamic electrophoresis of a dispersion of spherical droplets under conditions of low surface potential and arbitrary double-layer thickness and droplet volume fraction is analyzed. A cell model with the Shilov–Zharkikh boundary condition for the electric potential is adopted to simulate a dispersion, and the governing equations and the associated boundary conditions are solved by a pseudo-spectral method based on Chebyshev polynomials. The influence of the frequency of the applied electric field, the volume fraction of the droplets, the thickness of the double layer, and the relative magnitude of the viscosity of the droplet fluid on the electrophoretic behavior of a dispersion is discussed.

Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide