Work

Motion Control of Gallium-Based Liquid Metal Droplets in Abrasive Suspensions Within a Flow Channel

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Gallium-based room-temperature liquid metal is a promising multifunctional material for microfluidics and precision machining due to its high mobility and deformability. However, precise motion control of gallium-based liquid metal droplets, especially in abrasive particle-laden fluids, remains challenging. This study presents a hybrid control framework for regulating droplet motion in a one-dimensional PMMA channel filled with NaOH-based SiC abrasive suspensions. A dynamic model incorporating particle size and concentration effects on the damping coefficient was established. The system combines a setpoint controller, high-resolution voltage source, and vision feedback to guide droplets to target positions with high accuracy. Experimental validation and MATLAB simulations confirm that the proposed dynamic damping control strategy ensures stable, rapid, and precise positioning of droplets, minimizing motion fluctuations. This approach offers new insights into the manipulation of gallium-based liquid metal droplets for targeted material removal in micro-manufacturing, with potential applications in microelectronics and high-precision surface finishing.

Source: Actuators

DOI: 10.3390/act14090456

Authors: Yapeng Ma, Baoqi Feng, Kaixiang Li, Lei Zhang

Institution: Soochow University

Language: English

Topic: Electrowetting and Microfluidic Technologies

Subfield: Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,896

Funder: National Natural Science Foundation of China