Influence of dynamic interfacial properties on droplet breakup in simple shear flow

The breakup of drops in an inhomogeneous flow is the key to emulsification. Frequently, the local flow experienced by the drops is a (quasi-) simple shear flow. The breakup of drops in a steady, simple shear flow in the absence of emulsifiers has been studied extensively. In the presence of emulsifiers, the drop interface may acquire viscoelastic properties, which are important in the prevention of coalescence, but their influence on drop breakup has not been established solidly. This article reports on a phenomenol. approach, which links the drop breakup dynamics to the interfacial viscoelasticity, identifying the latter with the elasticity modulus of a deforming planar interface. Over a viscosity ratio range of three decades, the results have been found to agree with the model, which uses only independently known quantities derived from equil. interfacial tension properties. [on SciFinder (R)