On electroviscous effects in microchannels

This paper contains results of a theoretical investigation on the effect of the diffusive electric double layer (EDL) at the solid-liquid interface on liquid flow through a microchannel between two parallel plates. Unlike previous works, the electrical charge connected with the EDL at the inlet of a channel is accounted for. The Debye-Huckel linear approximation of the surface potential distribution is used to describe the EDL field near the solid-liquid interface. The electrokinetic distance is assumed to be arbitrary. The electrical body force resulting from the double layer field is considered in the equation of motion. This equation is solved for steady-state flow. Effects of the EDL field on the apparent viscosity are discussed.