Generation of Micro/Nano Scale Particles and Capsules by Electro hydrodynamic Atomization (EHDA) Process

Electro hydrodynamic atomization (EHDA) process is a technique of generating liquid droplets through the application of a large electrical potential difference. It has a wide range of industrial, agricultural and medical applications. This paper deals with the application of EHDA for generation of particles and capsules in micro/nano scale. Flow visualization is conducted to report different modes appearing during the process. The flow is visualized for different operating conditions, both above and below the grounded ring electrode. It is observed that the number of modes of e-spray increases with decreasing electrical conductivity of fluid. Micro particles are generated for different set of fluids. The sizes of generated particles increase nonlinearly with increasing flow rate for a fluid. It is investigated that the charge carried by droplets in DC elecrospray increases/decreases sharply when the mode of e-spray changes, unlike AC electrospray where generated droplets are neutral in nature. The capsules are generated for the combination of ethylene glycol, PCL solution with sodium silicate solution.