title: Propagation of drop coalescence in a two-dimensional emulsion: a route towards phase inversion.
abstract: The phase inversion that undergoes an emulsion while being sheared is a sudden phenomenon that is still puzzling. In this Letter, we report an experimental investigation on propagative coalescence by using a microfluidic device where a calibrated two-dimensional emulsion is created and destabilized. The velocity of propagation and the probability of the coalescence are reported as a function of the size and the spatial distribution of the drops, respectively. We then discuss the efficiency of this novel scenario of phase inversion and suggest that inversion can be favored by the existence of a drop size distribution.
authors.affiliation: UPMC Université Paris 06, CNRS UMR 7195, ESPCI ParisTech, 10 rue Vauquelin, 75231 Paris, France. Nicolas.Bremond@espci.fr
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bremond
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Doméjean
authors.forename: Jérôme
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bibette