Influence of Process Conditions During Impulsed Electrostatic Droplet Formation on Size Distribution of Hydrogel Beads

Figures & data

Figure 1. A schematic view of the electrostatic droplet generator with the impulsed voltage.

Table 1. Size distribution of droplets generated at frequency 100 Hz and impulse time 9 ms

Applied voltage U (kV)	Average diameter (mm)	Standard deviation (mm)	Size dispersion (%)
11	0.230	0.020	8.7
13	0.205	0.015	7.3
15	0.204	0.009	4.4
17	0.175	0.009	5.1
19	0.135	0.009	6.7
21	0.128	0.010	7.8

Figure 2. Dependence of the bead size on applied voltage for two different impulse duration times: τ=5 ms (upper curve, gray circles) and τ=9 ms (lower curve, black squares) at the same impulse frequency f=80 Hz.

Figure 3. Dependence of the bead size on applied voltage (above the critical voltage value) in the jet flow regime for the impulse duration time τ=9 ms at the impulse frequency f=100 Hz.

Figure 4. Dependence of the bead size on applied voltage (above the critical voltage value) in the jet flow regime for the impulse duration time τ=1 ms at the impulse frequency f=10 Hz. Main fraction—squares, satellite fraction—triangles.

Figure 5. Absence and presence of the satellite fraction in the bead samples in dependence on impulse duration time (f=100 Hz). Main fraction—squares, satellite fraction—triangles.

Figure 6. Samples of microbeads with entrapped WEHI-3B cells (left) and human parathyroid cells (right).