Work

Acoustically driven vertical coalescence of liquid marbles

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Liquid Marbles (LMs) are liquid droplets coated with a shell of micro- or nanoparticles. These versatile structures hold promise for diverse applications, including microreactors, gas sensors, and fluid pumps. Consequently, various strategies have been explored to manipulate LMs in terms of transportation, coalescence, and separation. Among these strategies, acoustic levitation presents a unique opportunity for surface-free manipulation of LMs. This paper introduces a simple and cost-effective method to achieve the head-on coalescence of LMs using acoustic levitation. Coalescence was accomplished by superimposing a control signal on continuous acoustic fields to facilitate collision and merging. Five distinct outcomes were identified, which depended on the ability of the acoustic levitator to hold and merge the resultant liquid marble. The results revealed a significant influence of acoustic pressure in the major outcomes of complete coalescence and partial coalescence after the collision. Our experimental results provide deeper physical insights into contactless head-on LM coalescence while demonstrating its feasibility as an initial step toward advanced LM manipulation techniques using acoustic levitation.

Source: Colloids and Surfaces A Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects

DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2025.136410

Authors: Aditya Vashi, Ajeet Singh Yadav, Navid Kashaninejad, Nam-Trung Nguyen

Institution: Griffith University

Language: English

Topic: Pickering emulsions and particle stabilization

Subfield: Materials Chemistry

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,200

Funder: Australian Research Council