Experimental investigation of liquid metal thread breakup in a cross junction

The liquid metal droplet formation is usually accompanied by satellite droplets, thus reducing the monodispersity of droplets. This paper investigates the breakup of liquid metal thread in microchannels through theoretical and experimental methods. The flow regimes are classified into squeezing, transition, and dripping. The important role of the shear force in different regimes is obtained by Micro-PIV. The influences of the Ca_d, Ca_c, and λ on satellite droplet size are systematically analyzed. The basic geometrical difference of the interfacial profiles is captured, and the phenomenon of satellite droplet formation accompanied by interfacial breakup is analyzed. The effect of squeezing force and shear force affects the size of satellite droplets. Reducing viscosity ratio can suppress satellite droplet formation in three liquid systems. The obtained results can help to improve the goal of producing monodisperse droplets by the microfluidic technology, and enhancing the size control range in emerging micro devices.