Polymeric droplet formation and flow pattern evolution in capillary microchannels: Effect of fluid elasticity

Polymeric droplets are widely employed in fields such as chemical, biomedical, and materials engineering. However, the study of polymeric droplet formation is still insufficient due to the complex elasticity. In this work, the effect of fluid elasticity on the flow patterns for polymeric droplet formation in cross-junction microchannels is investigated by means of finite-volume direct numerical simulations. The volume of fluid method with cell-based adaptive mesh refinement technique is used to capture the interface. Additionally, the rheological behavior of polymeric fluids is described using the exponential Phan-Thien–Tanner constitutive model. The simulated flow behaviors are highly consistent with the experimental observations. The results indicate that three typical flow patterns of dripping, jetting, and threading flows are obtained at different fluid elasticities (denoted by the Weissenberg number Wi) and viscosities (denoted by the Capillary number Ca). Meanwhile, the elastic effect is found to be greater in the dripping flow, significantly reducing the axial tensile stress. It is demonstrated that changes in the stretched state of polymer macromolecules with the same Wi at different Ca lead to variations in the strength of elastic action, which, in turn, affects the extension length and the pinch-off time of droplets. Finally, a relationship equation between the extension length and time of the polymer fluid is established. This present study aims to provide important insight into the preparation of polymeric droplets in microchannels.