Dynamics of droplet formation and flow regime transition in a T-shaped microfluidic device with a shear-thinning continuous phase

Simulations using a three-dimensional lattice Boltzmann multicomponent model are used to investigate droplet formation in a T-junction microchannel for a shear-thinning continuous phase. The shear-thinning behavior is captured using the Carreau-Yasuda model and is validated with experiments. A greater shear-thinning tendency of the continuous phase fluid is shown to be responsible for an increase in size and a change in shape of droplets from spherical to plug-shaped, typically observed in low capillary number Newtonian flows.