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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 19, 2026

Experimental Measurement of Settling Velocity of Spherical Particles in Unconfined and Confined Surfactant-based Shear Thinning Viscoelastic Fluids

Experimental Measurement of Settling Velocity of Spherical Particles in Unconfined and Confined Surfactant-based Shear Thinning Viscoelastic Fluids

Published on: January 3, 2014

Particle Shape-Dependent Electrophoresis in Viscoelastic Fluids.

Joseph Bentor¹, Seyed Mojtaba Tabarhoseini¹, Yongxin Song²

¹Department of Mechanical Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29634-0921, United States.

Analytical Chemistry

|May 18, 2026

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Fluid elasticity, not particle size, dictates electrophoretic velocity in viscoelastic solutions. Particle shape significantly impacts velocity in non-Newtonian fluids, unlike in Newtonian fluids.

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Area of Science:

Physics
Chemistry
Biotechnology

Background:

Electrophoretic velocity is typically independent of particle size and shape in Newtonian fluids.
Previous work identified particle size-dependent electrophoresis in viscoelastic poly(ethylene oxide) solutions.
Fluid elasticity's role in particle shape-dependent electrophoresis requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the influence of fluid elasticity on particle shape-dependent electrophoresis.
To determine if particle shape affects electrophoretic velocity in viscoelastic fluids.
To explore potential applications in microfluidic separation technologies.

Main Methods:

Experimental measurements of electrophoretic velocity for particles of varying shapes (sphere, pear, peanut) in poly(ethylene oxide) solutions.
Comparison of results in viscoelastic fluids versus Newtonian fluids.
Systematic variation of polymer concentration to assess the effect of fluid elasticity.

Main Results:

Electrophoretic velocity is dependent on particle shape in viscoelastic fluids, unlike in Newtonian fluids.
Slenderer particle shapes (pear, peanut) exhibit enhanced electrophoretic velocity compared to spherical shapes.
This shape dependence intensifies with increasing poly(ethylene oxide) concentration due to heightened fluid elasticity.

Conclusions:

Fluid elasticity, rather than particle size alone, induces particle shape dependence in electrophoresis.
The observed phenomenon offers a mechanism for label-free electrophoretic separation of particles and cells.
Non-Newtonian microfluidic devices can leverage this effect for advanced separation applications.