Electrophoresis analysis of a hydrophobic spherical particle in a micropolar electrolyte solution

Abstract

The general expression for the time‐independent electrophoretic velocity of a spherical colloidal particle with a slippage surface in a microstructure electrolyte solution is derived. The two extreme cases of nonconducting and perfect conducting particles are investigated. The derived expression is valid for arbitrary Debye length and low particle zeta potentials. The concept of velocity spin slip is incorporated with the usual velocity slip at the particle's surface. The effect of the microstructure of fluid particles on the electrophoresis phenomena is discussed based on a micropolar fluid model. The influences of velocity slip and velocity spin slip are shown through various plots of electrophoretic velocity. The limiting case of electrolyte viscous solution is recovered. The principal findings of this research can be summarized as follows: As the micropolarity parameter increases, the normalized electrophoretic velocity decreases and reaches its peak in the case of Newtonian fluids. Additionally, the velocity slip acts as a counteracting factor that promotes an increase in the electrophoretic velocity. In the context of nonconducting particles, the normalized electrophoretic velocity rises as the spin slip parameter and Debye length decrease. Conversely, for perfectly conducting particles, it increases as the spin slip parameter and Debye length increase.