Current Research – Dynamics of colliding microdroplets

Dynamics of colliding microdroplets

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Nowadays, we are capable of mass-production of microdroplets…

Inkjets Microfluidics

10µm in radius 10m/s in velocity 100,000

droplets/sec

Current Research – Dynamics of colliding microdroplets 2

Using inkjet systems, we can mass produce “functional droplets”

Goal Observation and evaluation of collision

dynamics-What happens when two droplets

collide? Produce functional microdroplets

Chemical reactions Anisotropic particles Microcapsules

artificial cellscosmeticspharmaceuticals

Current Research – Dynamics of colliding microdroplets 3

I developed a technique to evaluate the surface component of the microdropletby observing the oscillation

Water/Water collisionWater Water

Angu

lar f

requ

ency

of t

he o

scill

atio

n

Ideal frequency of a water microdroplet

Current Research – Dynamics of colliding microdroplets 4

What happens with Water/Ethanol?

Water Ethanol

Water and ethanol mixesover 20 times faster than theoretically expected

This is due to asymmetry in surface tension

Asymmetrical collision → 　 fast mixing

Current Research – Dynamics of colliding microdroplets

Techniques and skills• IT

Microsoft Office Suite, gnuplot, ImageJ• Programming

Java• Techniques

Circuit analysis, image processing, etc.• Equipment

Oscilloscope, function generator, etc.

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