title: Hysteresis in multiphase microfluidics at a T-junction.
abstract: Multiphase microfluidics offer a wide range of functionalities in the fields of fluid dynamics, biology, particle synthesis, and, more recently, also in logical computation. In this article, we describe the hysteresis of immiscible, multiphase flow obtained in hydrophilic, microfluidic systems at a T-junction. Stable and unstable state behaviors, in the form of segmented and parallel flow patterns of oil and water, were reliably produced, depending upon the history of the flow rates applied to the phases. The transition mechanisms between the two states were analyzed both experimentally and using numerical simulations, describing how the physical and fluid dynamic parameters influenced the hysteretic behavior of the flow. The characteristics of these multiphase systems render them suitable to be used as pressure comparators and also for the implementation of microfluidic logic operations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering, University of Glasgow, G12 8LT, United Kingdom. M.Zagnoni@elec.gla.ac.uk
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zagnoni
authors.forename: Jamie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Jonathan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Cooper
mesh_terms: D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques; D044085:Microfluidics; D009821:Oils; D044367:Phase Transition; D012212:Rheology; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D009821:Oils; D014867:Water