Abstract
Stability of a droplet hanging from a nozzle in an electric field was examined theoretically to estimate how the stable jet was achieved in the electrostatic inkjet process, which was attractive to the industrial application. The basic equations are the Young-Laplace equation for droplet shape and the Laplace equation for electric field. These equations are coupled and solved by the Finite Element Method. By the initial condition of its shape, a drop could be deformed into different shapes, such as "conical shape", "nipple" or "dog bone" with the increment of non-dimensional electric field. The concentration of electric field around the corner of a nozzle was found to be the cause of this kind of multiple shapes.
