Coiling of a viscoelastic fluid filament

Abstract

Coiling of a fluid filament is observed when the fluid viscosity is sufficiently large. The coiling frequency depends on several parameters (shown in the image) but most notably on viscosity. In this study we found that viscoelastic fluid filaments coil at a much smaller frequency than that of Newtonian fluids, under equivalent conditions. The reduction results from the increased value of the extensional viscosity typically observed for these liquids.