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Particle-induced electrostatic repulsion within an Electric Curtain Operating below the Paschen Limit

Particle-induced electrostatic repulsion within an Electric Curtain Operating below the Paschen Limit
Particle-induced electrostatic repulsion within an Electric Curtain Operating below the Paschen Limit
The electric curtain is a platform developed to lift and transport charged particles in air. Its premise is the manipulation of charged particles; however, fewer investigations isolate dielectric forces that are observed at lower voltages (i.e., less than the Paschen limit). This work focuses on observations of simultaneous dielectrophoretic and electrostatic forces. The electric curtain was a printed circuit board with interdigitated electrodes (0.020 inch width and spacing) coated with a layer of polypropylene, where a standing wave or travelling wave AC signal was applied (50 Hz) to produce an electric field below the Paschen limit. Soda lime glass beads (180–212 µm) demonstrated oscillatory rolling via dielectrophoretic forces. In addition, several particles simultaneously experienced rapid projectile repulsion, a behavior consistent with electrostatic phenomena. This second result is discussed as a particle-induced local increase in the electric field, with simulations demonstrating that a particle in close proximity to the curtain’s surface produces a local field enhancement of over 2.5 times. The significance of this is that individual particles themselves can trigger electrostatic repulsion in an otherwise dielectric system. These results could be used for advanced applications where particles themselves provided triggered responses, perhaps for selective sorting of micrometer particles in air.
Dielectrophoresis, Electric curtain, Electrostatics
2072-666X
Williams, Stuart J
a737262a-289a-42ab-bb5b-777571ff6203
Schneider, Joseph D
eb551ae4-475c-43c4-bf23-3fa2ad1a043f
King, Benjamin C
127669e6-9b41-4d95-a9a5-a4ac05fad0e1
Green, Nicolas G.
d9b47269-c426-41fd-a41d-5f4579faa581
Williams, Stuart J
a737262a-289a-42ab-bb5b-777571ff6203
Schneider, Joseph D
eb551ae4-475c-43c4-bf23-3fa2ad1a043f
King, Benjamin C
127669e6-9b41-4d95-a9a5-a4ac05fad0e1
Green, Nicolas G.
d9b47269-c426-41fd-a41d-5f4579faa581

Williams, Stuart J, Schneider, Joseph D, King, Benjamin C and Green, Nicolas G. (2022) Particle-induced electrostatic repulsion within an Electric Curtain Operating below the Paschen Limit. Micromachines, 13 (2), [288]. (doi:10.3390/mi13020288).

Record type: Article

Abstract

The electric curtain is a platform developed to lift and transport charged particles in air. Its premise is the manipulation of charged particles; however, fewer investigations isolate dielectric forces that are observed at lower voltages (i.e., less than the Paschen limit). This work focuses on observations of simultaneous dielectrophoretic and electrostatic forces. The electric curtain was a printed circuit board with interdigitated electrodes (0.020 inch width and spacing) coated with a layer of polypropylene, where a standing wave or travelling wave AC signal was applied (50 Hz) to produce an electric field below the Paschen limit. Soda lime glass beads (180–212 µm) demonstrated oscillatory rolling via dielectrophoretic forces. In addition, several particles simultaneously experienced rapid projectile repulsion, a behavior consistent with electrostatic phenomena. This second result is discussed as a particle-induced local increase in the electric field, with simulations demonstrating that a particle in close proximity to the curtain’s surface produces a local field enhancement of over 2.5 times. The significance of this is that individual particles themselves can trigger electrostatic repulsion in an otherwise dielectric system. These results could be used for advanced applications where particles themselves provided triggered responses, perhaps for selective sorting of micrometer particles in air.

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More information

Accepted/In Press date: 8 February 2022
Published date: 11 February 2022
Additional Information: Funding Information: This research was funded by NASA Kentucky Space Grant Consortium through grants RIDG-14-003 and UF-16-006. This article belongs to the Special Issue Micromachines for Dielectrophoresis, Volume II.
Keywords: Dielectrophoresis, Electric curtain, Electrostatics

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 455040
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/455040
ISSN: 2072-666X
PURE UUID: 151ed505-7ac5-4f83-8829-8ab8406ca2d9
ORCID for Nicolas G. Green: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-9230-4455

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Date deposited: 04 Mar 2022 17:40
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 02:59

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Contributors

Author: Stuart J Williams
Author: Joseph D Schneider
Author: Benjamin C King
Author: Nicolas G. Green ORCID iD

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