Simulation of Colloidal Particle Scattering: Sensitivity to Attractive Forces

Colloidal particle scattering is a recently developed method for the determination of surface forces between micrometer-sized particles. In this paper we extend earlier simulation studies to interactions of the DLVO type including purely attractive potentials. We examine the criteria for capture and compare simulated results for a range of interaction parameters. We find that the scattering patterns can be represented in a simple way once a correction for angular distortion has been applied. This representation should aid the analysis and interpretation of experimental data. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.     

Micromechanical adhesion force measurements between tetrahydrofuran hydrate particles

Adhesion forces between tetrahydrofuran (THF) hydrate particles in n-decane were measured using an improved micromechanical technique. The experiments were performed at atmospheric pressure over the temperature range 261-275 K. The observed forces and trends were explained by a capillary bridge between the particles. The adhesion force of hydrates was directly proportional to the contact force and contact time. A scoping study examined the effects of temperature, anti-agglomerants, and interfacial energy on the particle adhesion forces. The adhesion force of hydrates was found to be directly proportional to interfacial energy of the surrounding liquid, and to increase with temperature. Both sorbitan monolaurate (Span20) and poly-N-vinyl caprolactam (PVCap) decreased the adhesion force between the hydrate particles.     

Direct measurement of the binding force between microfabricated particles and a planar surface in aqueous solution by force-sensing piezoresistive cantilevers

We propose a force measurement method for evaluating the binding force between microscale flat surfaces in an aqueous solution. Using force-sensing piezoresistive cantilevers with sub-nanonewton force resolution, we have directly measured binding forces between SiO2-SiO2 microcontacts, which were created by gravity-driven random collision between microfabricated SiO2 cylindrical particles and a planar SiO2 substrate in a HCl solution. First, to examine our method we measured the pH dependence of the binding force. The binding forces were 12 and 5.8 nN at pH 1.0 and 2.0, respectively. As the pH increased, the binding force decreased and became zero at pH greater than 3.0. We confirmed that the bindings were based on the van der Waals' (VDW) force at pH 2.0 or less whereas a repulsive double-layer force acted between the surfaces at pH 3.0 or more. Second, the binding forces were categorized into a friction force or an adhesion force between the particles and the substrate. In the measurement, the friction force between the particle and the substrate was measured in the case when the particle slid on the substrate. On the contrary, the adhesion force was measured when the particle came off the substrate. Whether the particle slid or came off depended on the aspect ratio of the particle. We fabricated cylindrical particles with an aspect ratio of 0.03-2.0 and distinguished the friction force from the adhesion force by changing the aspect ratio of the particles. As a result, the friction force per unit contact area between SiO2-SiO2 flat surfaces was found to be 330 pN/microm2 +/- 20% when we used particles with a low aspect ratio (<0.1), and the adhesion force per unit contact area was 90 pN/microm2 +/- 20% for particles with a high aspect ratio (>0.4). For fluidic self-assembly that utilizes microscale surface contact in a liquid, our measurement method is an effective tool for studying and developing systems.     

Numerical study on the adhesion and reentrainment of nondeformable particles on surfaces: the role of surface roughness and electrostatic forces

In this paper, the reentrainment of nanosized and microsized particles from rough walls under various electrostatic conditions and various hydrodynamic conditions (either in air or aqueous media) is numerically investigated. This issue arises in the general context of particulate fouling in industrial applications, which involves (among other phenomena) particle deposition and particle reentrainment. The deposition phenomenon has been studied previously and, in the present work, we focus our attention on resuspension. Once particles are deposited on a surface, the balance between hydrodynamic forces (which tend to move particles away from the surface) and adhesion forces (which maintain particles on the surface) can lead to particle removal. Adhesion forces are generally described using van der Waals attractive forces, but the limit of these models is that any dependence of adhesion forces on electrostatic forces (due to variations in pH or ionic strength) cannot be reproduced numerically. For this purpose, we develop a model of adhesion forces that is based on the DLVO (Derjaguin and Landau, Verwey and Overbeek) theory and which includes also the effect of surface roughness through the use of hemispherical asperities on the surface. We first highlight the effect of the curvature radius on adhesion forces. Then some numerical predictions of adhesion forces or adhesion energies are compared to experimental data. Finally, the overall effects of surface roughness and electrostatic forces are demonstrated with some applications of the complete reentrainment model in some simple test cases.     

Manipulating forces between surfaces: applications in colloid science and biophysics

It is the forces between the microscopic constituents of materials which to a large extent determine the macroscopic properties. For example, it is the differences in bonding between the carbon atoms which determines the different physical properties of carbon and graphite. The same is true in colloidal systems. In colloidal systems, there are three common types of long-range interactions between particles: van der Waals forces, electrical double layer forces and steric forces. In this paper, examples as to how these forces can be modified and even manipulated will be given. To convincingly demonstrate these effects, it is necessary to measure these interaction forces. We have achieved this by using the principles of atomic force microscopy (AFM). The principle is simple, a small particle, 5-30 microm, is attached onto a small weak cantilever spring. The interaction between this particle and another particle or a surface is measured by monitoring the deflection of the spring as the two particles are moved together. In this paper, I shall give examples of direct measurements of van der Waals, electrical double layer and steric forces and show how they can be modified and how these modifications affect the properties of bulk suspensions. Similar principles are involved in the interactions of biological materials. However, nature is much cleverer than man such that many of the macromolecules on cell surfaces are able to specifically recognise only one other molecule. An example of this recognition-type interaction, namely, cholera toxin interacting with the glycolipid Gm1, will also be presented. Finally, the adhesion of cells to surfaces of different surface chemistries has been determined; this is of significance in many fields ranging from fouling of filtration membranes on the one hand to the biocompatibility of surgical implants on the other.     

Glass transition and film formation of VeoVa/vinyl acetate latices; role of water and co-solvents

The physical forces causing deformation of latex particles during the film formation process have been witley studied. However, the forces resisting particle deformation are still poorly characterized. It is clear that the extent of particle deformation is dependent on the viscoelastic nature of the polymer. In an emulsion, the latex particles will normally contain water, surfactants and “free” monomers which lead to plasticization of the polymer. Although this effect has been recognized, so far it has been studied only on films that had been dried and then partially or completely swollen by water. In this work, plasticization of the emulsion polymers by water and co-solvent has been quantified via differential scanning calorimetry investigation directly on the aqueous latex dispersions. More specifically, the plasticizing effect of water on VeoVa/vinyl acetate copolymer latices and its influence on minimum film-forming temperature (MFFT) has been studied. A linear correlation has been found between T_g and MFFT for the wet latices. This new direct method should help to improve our understanding of the forces resisting latex film formation. Additionally, the homogeneous distribution of the hydrophobic and hydrophilic monomers (VeoVa and vinyl acetate respectively) in the latex particles was verified via a ¹³C-NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) study performed directly on the latices. This study confirmed that no significant core/shell type of morphology had influenced latex film formation.     

Experimental humidity dependency of small particle adhesion on silica and titania

The humidity present in ambient atmosphere affects the adhesion of small particles by causing capillary bridge formation between the particle and the surface. Even in moderate relative humidities this, usually attractive, force can have a significant effect on adhesion behaviour of micro and sub-micro particles. We have directly measured the pull-off forces of initially adhered oxide particles on oxide surfaces with atomic force microscope in controlled atmosphere with adjustable humidity. We demonstrate the effect of the surface roughness resulting in two different regions of capillary formation and the particle shape having a strong effect on the humidity dependency of adhesion. The experimental results are explained by theoretical framework.     

Collision efficiencies of diffusing spherical particles: hydrodynamic,van der waals and electrostatic forces

A practical limitation of the application of Smoluchowski's classical estimate for the collisions probability of two diffusing spherical particles in Brownian motion is the non-consideration of interparticle forcves. For suspended particles in water such forces can arise from the disturbance the particle causes in the fluid (hydrodynamic forces), from the cloud of ions which surround an electrically charged particle (double layer forces) or they can be of molecular origin (van der Waals forces). In this paper corrections to Smoluckhowski's collision probability are computed when such forces operate Scoluchowski's collision probability are computed when such forces operate between two approaching particles of various sizes. Results for several values of the van der Waals energy of attraction and the ionic strength of the electrolyte are presented in a way convenient for particle collision modeling.     

Visualization of microscale particle focusing in diluted and whole blood using particle trajectory analysis

Inertial microfluidics has demonstrated the potential to provide a rich range of capabilities to manipulate biological fluids and particles to address various challenges in biomedical science and clinical medicine. Various microchannel geometries have been used to study the inertial focusing behavior of particles suspended in simple buffer solutions or in highly diluted blood. One aspect of inertial focusing that has not been studied is how particles suspended in whole or minimally diluted blood respond to inertial forces in microchannels. The utility of imaging techniques (i.e., high-speed bright-field imaging and long exposure fluorescence (streak) imaging) primarily used to observe particle focusing in microchannels is limited in complex fluids such as whole blood due to interference from the large numbers of red blood cells (RBCs). In this study, we used particle trajectory analysis (PTA) to observe the inertial focusing behavior of polystyrene beads, white blood cells, and PC-3 prostate cancer cells in physiological saline and blood. Identification of in-focus (fluorescently labeled) particles was achieved at mean particle velocities of up to 1.85 m s(-1). Quantitative measurements of in-focus particles were used to construct intensity maps of particle frequency in the channel cross-section and scatter plots of particle centroid coordinates vs. particle diameter. PC-3 cells spiked into whole blood (HCT = 45%) demonstrated a novel focusing mode not observed in physiological saline or diluted blood. PTA can be used as an experimental frame of reference for understanding the physical basis of inertial lift forces in whole blood and discover inertial focusing modes that can be used to enable particle separation in whole blood.     

Comparison between theoretical values and simulation results of viscosity for the dissipative particle dynamics method

In order to investigate the validity of the dissipative particle dynamics method, which is a mesoscopic simulation technique, we have derived an expression for viscosity from the equation of motion of dissipative particles. In the concrete, we have shown the Fokker-Planck equation in phase space, and macroscopic conservation equations such as the equation of continuity and the equation of momentum conservation. The basic equations of the single-particle and pair distribution functions have been derived using the Fokker-Planck equation. The solutions of these distribution functions have approximately been solved by the perturbation method under the assumption of molecular chaos. The expressions of the viscosity due to momentum and dissipative forces have been obtained using the approximate solutions of the distribution functions. Also, we have conducted nonequilibrium dynamics simulations to investigate the influence of the parameters, which have appeared in defining the equation of motion in the dissipative particle dynamics method. The theoretical values of the viscosity due to dissipative forces in the Hoogerbrugge-Koelman theory are in good agreement with the simulation results obtained by the nonequilibrium dynamics method, except in the range of small number densities. There are restriction conditions for taking appropriate values of the number density, number of particles, time interval, shear rate, etc., to obtain physically reasonable results by means of dissipative particle dynamics simulations.     

Continuous synthesis of CdSe-ZnS composite nanoparticles in a microfluidic reactor

ZnS-coated CdSe composite particles have been continuously synthesized in a microfluidic reactor. By using this system, CdSe particles and a ZnS coating can be produced in sequence, and the particle size and layer thickness can be directly adjusted by the residence time. It demonstrated that the continuous synthesis in the microreactor was a simple and efficient way to prepare composite particles with different structures and determine the optimized experimental conditions.     

Force measurements between sub-100 nm colloidal particles

Interparticle forces have been measured between polystyrene latex particles as small as 85 nm in diameter in KCl solutions. A variant of the differential electrophoresis technique, called particle force light scattering (PFLS), was used to measure forces between Brownian, nearly touching particles for diameters from 4500 nm down to 85 nm. The forces, some less than 0.1 pN, matched to within a factor of 2 with predictions from depletion and DLVO theory.     

Analyzing adhesion in microstructured systems through a robust computational approach

Analyzing surface forces for myriad geometric structures facilitates the design of properties in interacting interfacial systems. Along these lines, we demonstrate a generalized technique that can be utilized to evaluate the orientation dependence of a particle interacting with multiple finite or semi‐infinite objects. Specifically, the surface element integration technique is modified to account for surface elements of a particle not directly adjacent to the object with which it is interacting; this facilitates the analysis of objects with finite shape and with arbitrary orientations. Furthermore, as a technology‐relevant proof‐of‐concept demonstration, the influence of van der Waals (vdW) forces on the performance and reliability of microstructured systems used for the collection of trace particles is reported. The importance of the location of the particle contact with the microstructure and the independence of vdW forces generated by each microstructure is demonstrated using the developed computational approach. Thus, the methodology presented here can ultimately be utilized for a variety of interfacial forces generated by nontrivial systems with heterogeneous properties in order to provide design motifs in a low‐cost, high‐throughput manner.     

Toward linking material self-organization and the weak force

From an examination of the pattern of fundamental particles and their associated forces, it appears that there may be a different dominant (strongest) force associated with each particle. From an examination of all macroscopic structures five key self-organizing systems are identified. It appears that there is one such system per basic science of structure. Each of these systems, in turn, appears to be associated with a different dominant force. By identifying the common properties of the particles and self-organizing systems a relation is developed which allows calculation of 10 masses (five fundamental particle, and five self-organizing system). These calculated masses coincide with the experimental data available on the masses of the key self-organizing systems and the fundamental particles actually found in nature. Hence, this relation provides a proposed link between the key self-organizing systems, the basic sciences, the forces of nature, and the fundamental particles which is in line with what is already known. However, for this overall framework to be complete over the entire range of our experience a link between the weak force and material self-organization must exist.     

Surface Modification and Contact Interaction of Particles

Abstract

The effects of particle surface modification by ambient media and surfactant adsorption on the cohesive forces in the immediate contacts between individual particles have been studied with the CF (cohesive force) apparatus. The values of the free energy of interaction in direct coagulation contacts between particles of various types in liquids of different polarity and in the presence of various surfactants have been measured. They cover a broad range of several orders of magnitude; these interactions define the rheological properties of concentrated thixotropic systems and their stability with respect to peptization. A similar experimental technique has been used for studying active media influences on various physico‐chemical processes of particle bridging and formation of the phase contacts responsible for the mechanical properties of related solid structures and their resistance to fracture. The effect of the adsorption induced decrease in strength and durability of such porous structures with phase contacts and compact solids is considered.     

The role of surface forces in mineral flotation

Flotation is an interfacial separation technique, which plays a major role in mineral processing industry. It separates particles according to their wetting properties. In flotation pulp, particles and bubbles are highly dispersed in aqueous medium and in the presence of various flotation reagents. Almost all interfacial interactions including inter-particle, inter-bubble, and bubble-particle interactions in the complex pulp medium are driven by surface forces. Therefore, a fundamental understanding of the role of surface forces in flotation is a prerequisite to enhance practical flotation performance and adapt it for treatment of complex and refractory ores. In this paper, recent advances in the field of surface forces encountered in mineral flotation are reviewed. In particular, we highlight the latest progress in the attachment mechanism between bubble and particle with the aid of atomic force microscope and interference microscope. The current knowledge gap and future directions are also discussed.