Flow and diffusion behavior as a function of viscosity in a double-Y-type microfluidic device

Abstract

In recent years, microfluidic devices have been frequently used to handle highly concentrated solutions. In these cases, the influence of the viscosity of the solution on the flow and diffusion in the microfluidic device cannot be neglected. In this study, the hydrodynamic and diffusion behaviors of two liquids having different viscosities in contact in a double-Y-type microfluidic device were investigated. The relationship between the concentration and the flow rate at the outlet of the microfluidic device and the ratio of viscosities of the solution and the solvent was determined. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was used to predict the flow in the microfluidic device. The diffusion of a..