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Multicurvature viscous streaming: Flow topology and particle manipulation
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Researchers demonstrated that microfluidic devices with multicurvature features generate more complex viscous streaming flow patterns than classical uniform-curvature designs, enabling better manipulation of small particles in liquid. The expanded range of achievable flow topologies opens new possibilities for sorting and concentrating microscale particles including microplastics in microfluidic systems.
Viscous streaming refers to the rectified, steady flows that emerge when a liquid oscillates around an immersed microfeature. Relevant to microfluidics, the resulting local, strong inertial effects allow manipulation of fluid and particles effectively, within short time scales and compact footprints. Nonetheless, practically, viscous streaming has been stymied by a narrow set of achievable flow topologies, limiting scope and application. Here, by moving away from classically employed microfeatures of uniform curvature, we experimentally show how multicurvature designs, computationally obtained, give rise, instead, to rich flow repertoires. The potential utility of these flows is then illustrated in compact, robust, and tunable devices for enhanced manipulation, filtering, and separation of both synthetic and biological particles. Overall, our mixed computational/experimental approach expands the scope of viscous streaming application, with opportunities in manufacturing, environment, health, and medicine, from particle self-assembly to microplastics removal.
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