10.1063/5.0097354.2

Abstract

Surface acoustic waves (SAWs) can concentrate micro-particles in droplets within seconds. Yet, the mechanism is not clear and existing explanations fail by several orders of magnitude. In this paper, we analyze the effect of fluid viscosity and particle size on SAW-driven collective particle dynamics in droplets. In most of our experiments, the particles do not aggregate but instead remain away from the droplet center, thereby forming “cavities.” We show that the cavities are due to steric hindrance wherein the poloidal streamlines that should drive particles to the center of the droplet come too close to the solid, so that the particles carried along these streamlines touch the solid wall on the edge of the cavity before reaching the center of the droplet. The size of these cavities is correlated with the size of the aggregates formed in less viscous droplets. This suggests a common formation mechanism for cavities and aggregates. In the former, the particles touching the solid would be washed away by the fluid, whereas in the latter, the particles would remain in contact with the solid and roll to the center of the droplet where an aggregate is formed. We also discuss the stability conditions of the aggregate at the bottom of the droplet. The concept of hydrodynamic shielding is then used to concentrate 1 μm particles using 10 μm beads as shields.