Influence of viscosity, surface and interfacial tensions on the liquid droplet collisions

In this paper, we present the results of experimental research into the influence of viscosity, surface and interfacial tension of the liquid on the position of transition boundaries between droplet interaction regimes and main characteristics (number and dimensions) of child droplets. We produce collision regime maps using the dimensionless linear interaction parameter, the Weber and Ohnesorge numbers. The key liquid characteristics are varied in the following ranges: dynamic viscosity 0.0014–0.0063 Pa·s; surface tension 0.0275–0.07269 N/m; interfacial tension 0.00341–0.04257 N/m. Water, glycerol, Diesel fuel, stabilizers, and emulsifiers are used to produce solutions and emulsions. The main findings describe how viscosity, surface tension, and interfacial tension affect the dimensions of child droplets together and separately. The findings obtained contribute to developing the chemical and petrochemical technologies based on collisions of the droplets of various compositions as well as the technologies of secondary atomization of droplets. © 2020 Elsevier Ltd