On the breakup of a non-newtonian drop in an extensional flow

Abstract

The condition for the breakup, of a power-law non-Newtonian slender drop in a Newtonian liquid in an axisymmetric extensional flow, has been theoretically studied. The problem is governed by four dimensionless numbers: The capillary number, the Reynolds number, the viscosity ratio and the power-law index. The results suggest that the critical capillary number for drop breakup increases as the Reynolds number, the viscosity ratio and the power-law index decrease.