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A novel coarsening mechanism of droplets in immiscible fluid mixtures

Author

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  • Ryotaro Shimizu

    (Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba)

  • Hajime Tanaka

    (Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba)

Abstract

In our daily lives, after shaking a salad dressing, we see the coarsening of oil droplets suspended in vinegar. Such a demixing process is observed everywhere in nature and also of technological importance. For a case of high droplet density, domain coarsening proceeds with inter-droplet collisions and the resulting coalescence. This phenomenon has been explained primarily by the so-called Brownian-coagulation mechanism: stochastic thermal forces exerted by molecules induce random motion of individual droplets, causing accidental collisions and subsequent interface-tension-driven coalescence. Contrary to this, here we demonstrate that the droplet motion is not random, but hydrodynamically driven by the composition Marangoni force due to an interfacial tension gradient produced in each droplet as a consequence of composition correlation among droplets. This alters our physical understanding of droplet coarsening in immiscible liquid mixtures on a fundamental level.

Suggested Citation

  • Ryotaro Shimizu & Hajime Tanaka, 2015. "A novel coarsening mechanism of droplets in immiscible fluid mixtures," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 6(1), pages 1-11, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:6:y:2015:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms8407
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms8407
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    Cited by:

    1. Rebecca K. Lindsey & Nir Goldman & Laurence E. Fried & Sorin Bastea, 2022. "Chemistry-mediated Ostwald ripening in carbon-rich C/O systems at extreme conditions," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-7, December.

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