Dynamic regimes of electrified liquid filaments

Area of Science:

• Fluid dynamics
• Electrokinetics
• Materials science

Background:

• Electrically driven liquid filaments are crucial for material printing.
• Understanding transitions between jetting, coiling, and whipping is essential for precise control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the dynamics of electrified liquid filaments in a confined nozzle-to-substrate setup.
• To identify the key parameters governing transitions between jetting, coiling, and whipping regimes.

Main Methods:

• Experimental investigation of electrified liquid filament dynamics.
• Systematic variation of liquid properties and geometric parameters.
• Utilizing a low-interfacial-tension system for detailed observation.

Main Results:

• Documented novel transitions between jetting, coiling, and whipping dynamics.
• Demonstrated that minimum filament radius significantly influences coiling and whipping onset.
• Identified interplay between viscous and electrostatic stresses as critical.

Conclusions:

• The study elucidates the physics of electrically forced jet instabilities.
• Findings provide crucial insights for developing high-resolution instability-assisted printing techniques.
• Results are applicable to printing complex materials like folded assemblies and scaffolds.