Modelling the flow of liquid in continuous dialyzer

The paper deals with the modelling of the flow of liquid in a compartment of continuous dialyzer. Two simple models, the dispersion model and tanks-in-series model, were used. Their parameters Peclet number, the mean residence time of liquid in dialyzer compartment, the number of tanks and the mean residence time of liquid in each tank were determined from a nonideal step input of a tracer and its response. It has been found that in the range of the Reynolds number from 0.44 to 3.64, the Peclet number and the number of tanks are in the range from about 200 to 320 and from 100 to 310, respectively. Both these parameters and the mean residence time of liquid in the compartment of dialyzer and in each tank decrease with the increasing Reynolds number. Furthermore, it has been proved that the values of the mean residence time of liquid in the compartment of dialyzer calculated from the dispersion model agree well with those calculated from the tanks-in-series model. The obtained values of the Peclet number and the number of tanks indicate that the flow in the dialyzer does not significantly differ from the plug flow.     

The effect of viscosity on the kinetics of redox reactions in highly viscous silicate liquids

The kinetics of the temperature dependent redox reaction between chromium and manganese (Cr(6+) + 3Mn(2+)?Cr(3+) + 3Mn(3+)) in highly viscous silicate melts were studied by UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy at temperatures in the range from 25 to 800 °C. At high temperatures, the reaction is in equilibrium. During cooling, it is continuously shifted to the right. During cooling from Tg+50 K to Tg (Tg = glass transition temperature), a further decrease in the Cr(6+) concentration was obtained which, however, was less pronounced if larger cooling rates were applied. In this temperature range, the kinetics plays an important part. Finally, at a certain temperatures below Tg, the equilibrium was frozen. The temperature, the equilibrium is frozen in decreases with decreasing cooling rate. It also decreases with the glass transition temperature of the respective composition. The activation energies increase with the activation energies of the viscosity of the respective melt. The redox reaction is controlled by the viscosity, i.e., the rearrangement of the glass network and not by diffusion. The reason is a drastic change in the coordination spheres during the reaction which leads to a high inner reorganization energy according to Marcus' Theory.     

Modelling non-homogeneous flow and residence time distribution in a single-screw extruder by means of Markov chains

Non-homogeneous velocity distribution of the flow in the channel of a single-screw extruder is taken into account by a new model developed on the basis of the Markov chains. This model allows calculating the Residence Time Distribution (RTD) as well as the influence of the operating conditions on the process at any velocity distribution in the channel. It has been used to represent experimental results on mass flow rate and RTD previously obtained by extrusion of an acrylic polymer, Eudragit E100, at different temperatures and screw rotation speeds. The diffusion coefficient is the only adjusting parameter of the model. It was shown that it does not depend on the screw rotation speed and a correlation between this diffusion coefficient and the barrel temperature was found. The model provides global understanding of the transport kinetics of the flowing material through the extruder according to its behaviour and better describes the progress of the polymer flow all along the barrel from the hopper to the die.     

Modelling of shear flow in liquid crystalline materials

The flow behaviour of liquid crystalline polymers (LCPs) is quite complex and these materials exhibit varied and complicated textural patterns when subject to a flow field. The complexity arises from two general factors, the first that they are long chained and thus have long relaxation times, and second that they are liquid crystalline, and thus there is co-operative motion of the molecules. In both thermotropic and lyotropic LCPs subject to low shear flows, it is known that defects and disclinations influence the microstructure and rheology, but it is not clear by what mechanisms these distortions shrink or multiply during flow. In this work, a model is developed to examine the behaviour of defects in shear flows. The simulations based on the model show a spectrum of microstrucural development as a function of applied shear rate: reorientation of domains of different alignment associated with disclinations at low shear strains; the multiplication of wall type defects and the orientation of these normal to the shear gradient axis at intermediate shear rates, and the tendency towards disclination annihilation; the generation of a flow-aligned monodomain at higher shear rates.     

Modelling of shear flow in liquid crystalline materials

The flow behaviour of liquid crystalline polymers (LCPs) is quite complex and these materials exhibit varied and complicated textural patterns when subject to a flow field. The complexity arises from two general factors, the first that they are long chained and thus have long relaxation times, and second that they are liquid crystalline, and thus there is co-operative motion of the molecules. In both thermotropic and lyotropic LCPs subject to low shear flows, it is known that defects and disclinations influence the microstructure and rheology, but it is not clear by what mechanisms these distortions shrink or multiply during flow. In this work, a model is developed to examine the behaviour of defects in shear flows. The simulations based on the model show a spectrum of microstrucural development as a function of applied shear rate: reorientation of domains of different alignment associated with disclinations at low shear strains; the multiplication of wall type defects and the orientation of these normal to the shear gradient axis at intermediate shear rates, and the tendency towards disclination annihilation; the generation of a flow-aligned monodomain at higher shear rates.     

The rupture of a liquid layer by solutocapillary flow

The development of a strong deformation of the surface of a thin viscous liquid layer on a horizontal wettable substrate is experimentally studied. The deformation develops owing to a concentration-induced surface tension gradient that appears as a result of the deposition of a droplet of a soluble surface-active liquid onto the free surface of the layer. The conditions under which the viscous liquid layer is ruptured and the place beneath which the spreading droplet becomes partly uncovered are studied. For different pairs of liquids, the dependences of the radius of the dry spot on time, on the volume of a deposited droplet, on the horizontal sizes and thickness of the layer, and on the difference between the surface tensions of the droplet and the layer are obtained. It is shown that the rupture occurs at an appreciably larger initial thickness of the liquid layer than in the case of thermocapillarity. The critical thickness of the layer, at which its deformation reaches the substrate, is virtually independent of the amount of the deposited surfactant and is determined mainly by the surface tension gradient on the surface.     

In-line monitoring flow in an extruder die by rheo-optics

A new modular slit die with optical windows in two different positions and three pressure transducers flush-mounted along the wall was built and coupled to the exit of a twin-screw extruder. Thus, the birefringence and the pressure drop of polystyrene were monitored inline during extrusion. Two experimental procedures were tested: steady-state and cessation of extruder feeding. The latter proved to be very useful in the case of polystyrene since the ratio between the birefringence and the pressure drop can be quantified for a wide range of steady-state conditions with a single experiment. In fact, down to relatively lower values of pressure drop, the birefringence proved to be a function of shear stress at the wall only, depending neither on the initial feeding rate nor on the aspect ratio of the slit die, for W/h down to 5, at least.     

Rotational viscosity of nematic liquid crystals and their shear viscosity under flow alignment

The influence of molecular properties on the rotational viscosity, γ₁, of nematic liquid crystals is studied. The shear viscosity under flow alignment, η_s, is determined for the same liquid crystals. A significant correlation between both quantities is found. An equation is presented which allows the calculation of γ₁ from η_s with an error of about 20 per cent for the liquid crystals studied.     

Spreading of viscous droplets on a non viscous liquid

Some polymer melts (of high viscosity ) can wet completely the surface of a non miscible, simple liquid. We discuss here the laws of spreading for a macroscopic droplet of this type, when the internal friction of the droplet dominates. We predict a droplet radius increasing liket ^1/4 wheret is the spreading time, or equivalently a droplet curvature decreasing liket ^–1. The droplet should be surrounded by a precursor film, which is not discussed in the present note.     

Density,viscosity and thermodynamic activation for viscous flow of water+sulfolane

Densities and viscosities for the system, water (W)?+?sulfolane (SFL), have been determined for the entire range of composition at temperatures ranging from 303.15 to 323.15?K. Density, excess molar volume, viscosity, excess viscosity and thermodynamic activation parameters for viscous flow have been calculated and plotted against the mole fraction of SFL. The measured properties and some of the derived properties have been fitted to appropriate polynomial equations. These have been explained in terms of such factors, as, dipole–dipole interaction, partial accommodation of water molecules into the structural network of SFL and H-bonding between SFL and H₂O.     

Circular dichroism and absorption in a finite cholesteric liquid crystal layer with an isotropic defect layer inside

Circular dichroism and absorption are calculated for one-dimensional chiral soft substance (a cholesteric liquid crystal, CLC) cells with an isotropic defect layer. The photonic density of states (PDS), circular dichroism, absorption and emission dependencies are calculated as functions of the parameters characterising absorption and gain. The absorption and gain effects in chiral photonic systems with a defect layer are established and it is shown that in some cases the subject system can work as: a low threshold laser, a multi-position trigger, a total wide/narrow band absorber, a wide/narrow band filter/mirror, etc. This work demonstrates the effects of absorption and emission in photonic crystal (PC) layers, and offers a novel approach to understanding of tunable soft photonic substances.     

Illustration of chemical reaction on the flow of viscous fluid in a deformable permeable layer: A numerical approach

In this article, analysis is carried out for the flow of viscous liquid in a deformable permeable layer. Influence of chemical reaction is considered that will affect the flow behavior. The governing equation describes the coupling between the solid deformation, fluid movement and concentration in the porous layer. However, these complex transformed designed problems are numerically examined retaining “Runge-Kutta fourth-order” in coordination with shooting method. Computational results for the numerous parameters on the flow phenomena such as solid displacement profiles are presented graphically. Moreover, the significant finding of the results is; increasing viscous drag retards the momentum within the permeable stratum whereas increasing particle concentration has opposite impact on the solid displacement within the domain.     

Electrical,optical and photoelectrochemical studies on a solid PEO-polymer electrolyte doped with low viscosity ionic liquid

Solid polymer electrolyte (PEO:KI:I₂) membranes doped with low viscosity (34 cP at 25 °C) ionic liquid EMImTFSI (1-ethyl 3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide) showing plasticizing effect as well as improved dye sensitized solar cell efficiency have been reported first time. Apart from ionic conductivity enhancement due to large number of free charge carriers provided by ionic liquid (IL) it assist in reducing cystallinity of polymer electrolyte matrix which was confirmed by polarized optical microscopy (POM). Cyclic voltammetry was carried out to study the reactions of iodide, iodine and IL in polymer electrolyte matrix.     

Kinetics of photoinitiated polymerization in viscous media with one-sided illumination of a planar layer

A qualitative and numerical analysis of the solution of a system of nonlinear partial differential equations describing the kinetics of photoinitiated polymerization with one-sided illumination of a planar layer of viscous photopolymerizing composition is given. An equation of the integral rate of the process, expressed in units of contraction of the layer, that can be compared with experimental data is proposed.Published as a discussion.Translated from Teoreticheskaya i Éksperimental'naya Khimiya, Vol. 28, Nos. 5–6, pp. 420–423, September–December, 1992.     

Measurements in a thermal laminar boundary layer with a constant pressure gradient

Mean temperature profiles in a laminar boundary layer which develops with a constant favourable pressure gradient over a constant temperature smooth surface have been measured and are in reasonable agreement with numerical solutions of the boundary layer equations.     

Effect of non-homogeneous surface viscosity on the Marangoni migration of a droplet in viscous fluid

Marangoni migration of a single droplet in an unbounded viscous fluid under the additional effect of variable surface viscosity is studied. The surface tension and the surface viscosity depend on concentration of dissolved species. Cases of the motion induced by the presence of a point source and by a given constant concentration gradient are considered. The dependence of the migration velocity on the governing parameters is computed under quasi-stationary approximation. The effect of weak advective transport is studied making use of singular perturbations in the Peclet number, Pe. It is shown that, when the source is time dependent a Basset-type history term appears in the expansion of the concentration and, as a result, the leading order correction to the flow and to the migration velocity is of O(Pe(1/2)). If the source of active substance driving the flow is steady, the effect of convective transport on the migration is weaker.     

Solid particle in the boundary layer of a rising bubble

The hydrodynamic interaction of a solid particle and the boundary layer around a rising bubble is analyzed in the before-contact state (BCS) of a flotation act. The lagging of the particle behind the basic outer flow is accounted for. The forces acting on the particle are qualitatively examined. A new term is introduced in the force balance — the migration force. An expression for the collision efficiency is proposed that concerns a particle already entrained in the bubbles boundary layer.     

Enhanced thermal response of the SAd1 layer thickness in highly fluorinated thermotropic liquid crystals

X-ray studies of a homologous series of rod-shaped liquid crystal molecules with one tail perfluorinated and the other protonated, reveal large decreases in the smectic A layer spacing with increasing temperature. These materials form unique dimer phases in which the smectic layer spacing is dependent on the length of the perfluorinated tail and independent of the length of the protonated tail. The chain statistics of the perfluorinated tail significantly influence the thermal expansion coefficient since the length of the fluorinated tail defines the smectic layer spacing. Thermal expansion coefficients for the layer spacing observed here are negative and nearly an order of magnitude greater than for typical protonated rod-shaped thermotropic liquid crystals in the SA phase.