Numerical study of surfactant dynamics during emulsification in a T-junction microchannel

Microchannel emulsification requires large amounts of surfactant to prevent coalescence and improve emulsions lifetime. However, most numerical studies have considered surfactant-free mixtures as models for droplet formation in microchannels, without taking into account the distribution of surfactant on the droplet surface. In this presentation, we develop an extended lattice-Boltzmann model to investigate the effects of nonuniform surfactant coverage on the microfluidic flow pattern. This numerical study, supported by micro-particle image velocimetry experiments, reveals the likelihood of uneven distribution of surfactant during the droplet formation and the appearance of a stagnant cap. The Marangoni effect affects the droplet breakup by increasing the shear rate. According to our results, surfactant-free and surfactant-rich droplet formation processes are qualitatively different, such that both the capillary number and the Damköhler number should be considered when modeling the droplet generation in microfluidic devices.