Effect of Dissociation-Recombination Processes in a Leaky Dielectric Dispersion Medium on the Coalescence and Non-Coalescence of Conducting Droplets Suspended in It

The implementation of electrostatic demulsification in industrial applications or in multi-droplet numerical models requires information on how various phenomena in an emulsion affect the outcome of the interaction of droplets constituting dispersed phase under the action of an external electric field. This paper examines the effect of dissociation-recombination processes in a leaky dielectric dispersion medium on the dynamics and interaction of two equal-sized conducting droplets of the dispersed phase using numerical modeling. Computations employ the arbitrary Lagrangian‒Eulerian method to describe the interface between two liquids. A dimensionless parameter was introduced that determines the electrical properties of the system and determines the area of greatest influence of dissociation-recombination processes on the outcomes. This influence does not exceed 4‒6% within the ranges of considered values, and can be omitted in multi-droplet analysis, or taken into account as a small relative addition to the average electric field strength.