Droplet coalescence and breakup with application to polymer blending

Abstract

In this presentation, I summarize recent experimental and theoretical studies from my group on the breakup and coalescence of polymer drops in a second immiscible polymeric fluid. A particular focus is the role of “compatibilizers” in these processes. Compatibilizers are typically di-block copolymers of the two bulk polymers, and thus they act as large surfactants insofar as the breakup and coalescence processes are concerned. Compatibilizers inhibit coalescence, and lead to major changes in the distribution of drop sizes when a drop is stretched by a flow and then breaks by capillary instability when the flow is stopped.

Keywords

drop breakup / drop coalescence / surfactant