Electro-Flow Focusing: The high-conductivity low-viscosity limit

Abstract

Electro-flow focusing, a technique combining the features of electrospray (ES) and flow focusing (FF), provides a reliable tool to reach parametrical microjetting ranges not attainable by ES or FF alone under specific operational regimes (liquid properties and flow rate). In this Letter, we provide not only a closed theoretical model predicting the diameter of a high electrical conductivity electro-flow focused liquid microjet, but also its convective or absolute instability, linked to the jetting-to-dripping transition and the minimum liquid flow rate that can be ejected in steady jetting regime, in which the smallest droplets are issued. Good agreement is found with experimental values.