Retention amount and flow behavior of droplets on cross‐fiber intersections during coalescence separation

Abstract

Cross fibers at different angles are essential for enhancing the separation of emulsions as the basic structure in fiber fillers. In this article, the retention and detachment process of droplets on fiber intersection were investigated using high‐speed camera technology to explore the critical volume, slip path and droplet oscillation. The results indicate that the critical volume retained on the intersection is significantly affected by the fiber slope, cross angle between fibers, and liquid viscosity. A droplet‐fiber interfacial force balance model is established to predict the critical volume and the tilt angle corresponding to maximum critical volume. The switching behaviors of selected fiber slippage depend on the slope, diameter, and affinity of the fiber. Compared with the lipophobic fiber woven mesh, the droplets on the lipophilic fiber mesh slip upward with a larger oscillate deformation and obvious periodicity. The mean deformation of droplets is 1.16 times that on lipophobic fiber.