Ioannis Kiratzis
Bsc and MSc – Chemical Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
PhD Researcher
Sponsor: EPSRC,
School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom
PhD Project Background
Project Title: Microfluidic investigation of dynamic surfactant rearrangement in water/oil interface during single droplet formation
Single droplet formation is an important microfluidic process useful in engineering and biological applications. In microfluidic droplet formation, surfactants are used to stabilize droplets against coalescence. Dynamic surfactants effects arise when interfaces under stress produce gradients in surface concentration leading to interfacial tension gradients that produce Marangoni stresses. These stresses affect droplet formation. Aim of this project is to study the Marangoni phenomena close to the water/oil interface using ghost particle velocimetry. GPV is an optical technique allowing us to visualize flows close to the interface helping us to better understand surfactant behaviour.