Electrically Deformable Liquid Marbles

TL;DR

This paper investigates how liquid marbles deform under an electric field, establishing a threshold for deformation, describing their shape change, and presenting a theory that aligns with experimental results.

Contribution

It introduces a semi-quantitative theory for liquid marble deformation in electric fields and identifies the threshold electric field needed for deformation.

Findings

Deformation occurs above 15 cgse electric field threshold.

Marble shape approximates a prolate spheroid during deformation.

Scaling law matches experimental data.

Abstract

Liquid marbles, which are droplets coated with a hydrophobic powder, were exposed to a uniform electric field. It was established that a threshold value of the electric field, 15 cgse, should be surmounted for deformation of liquid marbles. The shape of the marbles was described as a prolate spheroid. The semi-quantitative theory describing deformation of liquid marbles in a uniform electric field is presented. The scaling law relating the radius of the contact area of the marble to the applied electric field shows a satisfactory agreement with the experimental data.