Fourier transform rheology as a universal non-linear mechanical characterization of droplet size and interfacial tension of dilute monodisperse emulsions

Kathrin Reinheimer; Massimiliano Grosso; Manfred Wilhelm

doi:10.1016/j.jcis.2011.05.002

Fourier transform rheology as a universal non-linear mechanical characterization of droplet size and interfacial tension of dilute monodisperse emulsions

J Colloid Interface Sci. 2011 Aug 15;360(2):818-25. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2011.05.002. Epub 2011 May 9.

Authors

Kathrin Reinheimer¹, Massimiliano Grosso, Manfred Wilhelm

Affiliation

¹ Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT), Technische Chemie und Polymerchemie, Engesserstr. 18, D-76131 Karlsruhe, Germany.

PMID: 21621218
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2011.05.002

Abstract

A new protocol to gain interfacial tension and droplet size of dilute monodisperse emulsions from Fourier Transform Rheology (FTR), is proposed. Specifically, a universal dimensionless quantity E was found at small strain amplitudes to correlate with the droplet size of the emulsion where E is inversely related to the square of the capillary number Ca and directly proportional to the relative intensities of the fifth and third harmonics, I(5)/I(3). The limiting value E(0) at small strain deformations can be used as a universal parameter to calculate different emulsion properties. Different morphological constitutive models for emulsions were used to establish the universality of the parameter E(0). Preliminary analysis on experimental data confirms the validity of this approach for the characterization of emulsion properties, including the estimation of interfacial tension and droplet radius.