Electroosmotic Flow Through Porous Materials

Electroosmotic flow can be employed in many microfluidic systems. Especially, highly porous materials are suitable since they generate significant flow rates and pressures.

In the current research, we employ electroosmosis experiments using a relatively simple and cost-effective set-up including different sets of sintered packed beds of borosilicate micro spheres having a wider range of porosities. Various experiments are performed with varying applied electric field, and packed bed porosity. The flow rates are measured by tracking the air/liquid interface in a capillary which is connected to the packed bed. A mathematical model of the setup reveals the influence of the capillary flow on the flow rate of the electroosmotic flow.