Deformation of a fluid drop subjected to a uniform electric field

Impact of external static electric field on surface tension of model solutions

“…The fact that the droplets exposed deformation perpendicularly to the applied SEF can be explained by the reduction of the ST at the air/liquid interface (Sato, Kudo, and Saito 1999): the cohesive forces that interact within the droplet allowing it to maintain its spherical shape were reduced, the droplet was then more subjected to the gravitational field, and it deformed in the same direction as that field. As mentioned by Filali, Er-Riani, and El Jarroudi (2021), the electric field discontinuity across the interface creates a jump of Maxwell's stress tensor that is similar to an electric pressure. The cohesive forces were so reduced when high voltages (10 kV) were applied that it became difficult to generate a single droplet at the tip of the syringe; as a consequence, the droplets detached from the syringe on some occasions.…”