Microfluidic approach for rapid interfacial tension measurement.

Area of Science:

• Fluid Dynamics
• Surface Science
• Microfluidics

Background:

• Interfacial tension is a critical parameter in fluid systems.
• Accurate measurement of interfacial tension is essential for various applications.
• Existing methods can be time-consuming or require specialized equipment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a rapid and accurate microfluidic method for measuring interfacial tension.
• To demonstrate the capability of quantifying interfacial tension of immiscible fluids.
• To simultaneously measure the viscosity of the water phase fluid.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing a coaxial microfluidic device for fluid manipulation.
• Applying quantitative force balance analysis to drop formation dynamics.
• Measuring interfacial tension for various liquid systems with and without surfactants.

Main Results:

• The microfluidic method provides rapid and accurate interfacial tension measurements.
• Results show good agreement with a commercial interfacial tensiometry instrument.
• Accurate viscosity measurements of the water phase fluid were also achieved.
• The method was validated across a range of interfacial tensions (1.0–10.0 mN/m) and viscosities (1.0–10.0 mPa.s).

Conclusions:

• The developed microfluidic approach offers a fast and reliable way to determine interfacial tension.
• This technique is versatile, allowing for simultaneous viscosity measurements.
• The method holds potential for applications requiring quick characterization of fluid interfaces.