Enhanced solute mixing in shear thinning solvents promoted by electrothermal effects

In this work, we explore the enhancement of solute mixing in shear thinning solvents promoted by AC (alternating current) electrothermal effects. At first, we conduct numerical investigations into the effect of electrode potential on different features of electrothermal flow and, henceforth, solute mixing. Thereafter, we analyze the effect of solvent rheology on various solvent properties, followed by analysis of the effect of fluid rheology on solute mixing. We also analyze how the frequency of the applied AC signal affects the mixing performance and demonstrate how an optimum choice of frequency can significantly improve mixture quality. Finally, we present the study results focused on the effect of electrode configuration and demonstrate how simple modification of the device can enhance solute transport even at low operating voltages. The results show that higher electrode voltages result in superior electrothermal mixing in shear thinning solvents, and the optimum choice of operating parameters ensures excellent device performance.