Novel shear modulus equations for concentrated emulsions of two immiscible elastic liquids with interfacial tension

Starting from the shear modulus equation for a dilute emulsion system of two immiscible liquids with interfacial tension, four new equations have been developed for the shear modulus of concentrated emulsions using a differential scheme. The continuous phase and the dispersed droplets are treated as elastic liquids in the derivation. Out of the four models developed in the paper, two models predict the relative shear modulus (ratio of emulsion modulus to continuous phase modulus) to be a function of three variables: elastocapillary number, modulus ratio (dispersed phase modulus to continuous phase modulus) and volume fraction of dispersed phase. The remaining two models include an additional parameter, i.e. the maximum packing volume fraction of droplets. The proposed models are evaluated using three sets of experimental data on high frequency shear modulus of concentrated polymer-thickened oil-in-water emulsions.     

Surface and interfacial waves in ionic crystals

The continuum linear theory of ionic crystals is applied to develop a two-dimensional eigenvalue problem in the Stroh formalism. An integral approach is exploited to study the occurrence of surface waves along a free boundary of the crystal. Dispersion relations are obtained by separating real and imaginary parts of the governing system and various boundary conditions are examined. The problem of interfacial waves along the separation boundary between two different crystals is also outlined. Numerical computations are performed for a centrosymmetric crystal (KCl) in order to evaluate bulk wave speeds, limiting speed of surface waves and solutions to the dispersion equations for different boundary conditions.     

On viscous flow and effective viscosity of concentrated suspensions and emulsions

Summary Previous analysis byHappel (3) of viscous flow in concentrated solid suspensions has been extended to include concentrated emulsions of slightly deformable fluid particles in the presence or absence of surfactant impurities.General expressions were obtained for viscous flow in multi-particle systems when arbitrary shear fields are imposed. Specific relations were then derived for uniform,Couette and hyperbolic fields. The behavior is found to be strongly dependent upon particle concentration and surfactant concentration. The theoretical expressions obtained for effective viscosity of emulsions compare favorably with experimental data ofNeogy andGhosh (18),Sibree (15),Sherman (17), andBroughton andWindebank (16). These results support other studies on ensemble velocities [(10), (12), and in particular (22)], which strongly indicate the practical value and factual reliability of cell models in predicting the behavior of suspensions and emulsions.     

Wall slip phenomena in concentrated ionic liquid-based magnetorheological fluids

Ionic liquids (ILs) have been recently proposed as carrier for magnetorheological (MR) fluids. Their special properties, such as very low vapor pressure and high thermal stability, make ILs highly suitable dispersion media to increase the broad range of technological applications that magnetorheological fluids already have. It has been just reported that using ILs as carriers in MR fluids an improvement in the colloidal stability and suspension redispersibility is obtained. In this work, the magnetorheological behavior of highly concentrated suspensions in ILs is studied. Two kinds of suspensions were analyzed: using an ionic liquid of low conductivity and a mineral oil as carriers. In both cases, silica-coated iron microparticles were used as solid phase, being the solid volume concentration of 50% vol. A complete magnetorheological analysis focused on the wall slip phenomenon was performed. Steady-state and oscillatory experiments were carried out. In order to study wall slip effects, all experiments were performed with a plate–plate system, using both smooth and rough measuring surfaces. A significant effect of wall slip was observed when the experiments were performed using smooth surfaces. The novelty of this paper is mainly based on (1) the use of an ionic liquid as carrier to prepare magnetic suspensions, and?(2) the analysis of wall slip phenomena in MR fluids with a particle content close to the maximum packing fraction.     

Flow behaviour of highly concentrated emulsions of supersaturated aqueous solution in oil

A set of highly concentrated water-in-oil emulsions with supersaturated dispersed phase were investigated in this work to verify and/or develop the models that have been presented both in the literature and in this work. The material used to form emulsions consisted of supersaturated oxidiser solution, hydrocarbon oil and PIBSA-based surfactants. The interfacial characteristics for different surfactant types were first examined. Then, the rheology of samples was studied, and different scaling methods and fitting of experimental data were studied. On the basis of flow curve measurements and observed $\tau _\emph{v} \sim \dot {\gamma }^{1/2}$ scaling, a modified version of Windhab model was suggested which showed excellent fitting of experimental results. The linear dependences of ?? _y0/?? versus 1/d ₃₂ for studied emulsions showed non-zero intercept which implies a non-linear dependence (resulting from interdroplet interaction) to fulfil the zero-intercept requirement. It was established that the zero intercept condition was fulfilled in the $\tau _{y0} \sim \sigma /d_{32}^2 $ scaling, although the experimental results for different surfactants were not superimposed.     

Interfacial localization of nanoclay particles in oil-in-water emulsions and its reflection in interfacial moduli

The localization of nanoclay particles dispersed in the oil phase of a model oil-in-water emulsion depends on the wetting property of layered nanoparticles. Investigation at a single droplet interface shows that nanoclay is located at different interfacial regions depending on the hydrophilic property of the nanoclay surface. Hydrophobic nanoclays do not present Pickering phenomena at the interface and hardly form an interfacial layer. Hydrophilic nanoclay particles quickly move to the interface and form a Pickering interface with a high interfacial shear modulus. With surfactant, poor hydrophilic nanoclays can be located at the interface due to improvement of the wetting behavior caused by the surfactants dissolved in the aqueous continuous phase. With ionic molecules changing the wetting behavior of particles, the interfacial localization of nanoclays can be controlled and improve the mechanical property of emulsion.     

Modelling and characterisation of diluted and concentrated water-in-crude oil emulsions: comparison with classical behaviour

Water-in-oil type emulsions can be formed during the crude oil production process. The presence of natural surfactants in oil (asphaltenes, resins) and mechanical stirring (piping/well system) produce emulsions, the stability and rheological behaviour of which depend mainly on the chemical composition of the oil and the internal phase concentration. In this work, water (brine 8 g NaCl/cm³) in oil (crude oil) emulsions were prepared and characterised by varying the internal phase concentration (5–80%). Rheological properties are discussed according to the composition of the oil and the temperature of the system. Relative viscosity was modelled following the classical models of Mooney and Krieger and Dougherty, but the best-fitting model for the experimental results was found with an exponential type equation between relative viscosity and volume fraction, as proposed by Richardson. Moreover, we observed that the plastic behaviour determined through the yield stress determination depended not only on the internal phase concentration but also on the temperature. Quantitative analysis of the emulsions’ viscoelastic parameters (storage and loss modulus) was made. In the case of concentrated emulsions (containing over 70% of internal phase), Princen’s theory of the high internal phase ratio emulsions (HIPRES) was verified.     

Numerical simulations of linear viscoelasticity of monodisperse emulsions of Newtonian drops in a Newtonian fluid from dilute to concentrated regime

The bulk viscoelastic properties of monodisperse emulsions of Newtonian drops in a Newtonian matrix subjected to small amplitude oscillatory shear (SAOS) flow are investigated by means of arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian finite element method 3D numerical simulations. Volume fractions of the suspended phase from the dilute to the concentrated regime (up to 30 %), and a range of several orders of magnitude of the drops-to-matrix viscosity ratio and of the frequency of the oscillatory flow are examined; the eventual presence of slip between the two fluids is also considered. The computational results are compared with theory, yielding a quantitative agreement with Oldroyd (Proc R Soc Lond A 218:122–132, 1953) predictions in a wide range of values of the considered parameters, even well beyond the dilute regime, and also in the cases with slip.     

On phase transitions with bulk,interfacial, and boundary Energy

Archive for Rational Mechanics and Analysis -     

Interfacial flows in corrugated microchannels: Flow regimes,transitions and hysteresis

We report simulations of gas–liquid two-phase flows in microchannels periodically patterned with grooves and ridges. A constant effective body force is applied on both fluids to simulate a pressure-driven creeping flow, and a diffuse-interface model is used to compute the interfacial evolution and the contact line motion. Depending on the body force, capillary force and the level of liquid saturation, a number of flow regimes may appear in the corrugated microchannel: gas flow, blockage, liquid flow, bubble–slug flow, droplet flow, annular flow and annular-droplet flow. A map of flow regimes is constructed for a set of geometric and flow parameters starting from a prescribed initial configuration. Some of the regimes are new, while others have been observed before in straight tubes and pipes. The latter are compared with previous experiments in terms of the regime map and the holdup ratio. The transition among flow regimes shows significant hysteresis, largely owing to the pinning of the interface at sharp corners in the flow conduit. Hysteresis is reduced if the sharp corners are rounded. Under the same operating conditions, different flow regimes can be realized from different initial conditions. The roles of geometry and wettability of the channel walls are also elucidated.     

Viscosity,first and second normal-stress coefficients,and molecular stretching in concentrated solutions and melts

A numerical method to solve the diffusion equation for the encapsulated FENE-dumbbell model is presented. Viscosity, first and second normal-stress coefficients, and molecular stretching for steady state shear flow are calculated. From the graphs of these quantities one can see the effect of anisotropy of Stokes' resistance and the Brownian force on rheological properties. The accuracy of the approximate method used by Bird and DeAguiar is assessed.     

Processing,characterisation and rheology of transparent concentrated fibre-bundle suspensions

Highly concentrated planar fibre-bundle suspensions with a transparent PMMA matrix were processed with various initial bundle contents and orientations. They were submitted to simple compression and plane strain compression deformation modes. First rheological measurements are presented. They highlight the role of the bundle content and orientation on recorded stress levels. The transparent matrix allows the observation of fibrous microstructures before and after compressions: The in-plane deformation of bundles (flattening and bending) as well as the evolution of their orientation are analysed and discussed. This paper was presented at the 3rd Annual European Rheology Conference (AERC) 2006, held in Hersonisos, Crete, Greece, April 27–29, 2006.     

Mixed-mode self-oscillations,stochastic excitability,and coherence resonance in flows of highly concentrated suspensions

Nonlinear Dynamics - This article presents an overview of breaking waves and liquid sloshing impact acting on rigid walls and in liquid containers. The physics of breaking waves against rigid walls...     

Microacceleration regimes,gravitational sensitivity and methods of analyzing technological experiments in microgravity

Research on the measurement and calculation of the space-time variation of the microaccelerations on board orbital stations and new methods of analyzing technological experiments based on models of convective heat and mass transfer are reviewed. Investigations of the gravitational sensitivity of convective processes and macro- and microinhomogeneity effects due to various types of convection are considered. The problem of the relation between a computation system based on the unsteady Navier—Stokes equations and the accelerometer for testing and estimating microaccelerations is discussed.Moscow. Translated from Izvestiya Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 5, pp. 22–36, September–October, 1994.     

Rheological,morphological, and interfacial properties of compatibilized PLA/PBAT blends

The focus of this paper was to gain a true understanding of the impact of a multifunctional epoxide (Joncryl®;ADR-4368) on the interfacial properties of biopolymer blends based on poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT). The effect of Joncryl on the shear rheological, morphological, and interfacial properties of the blends was systematically investigated. For the deformed drop retraction experiments, different sandwich model systems (droplet/matrix), representing various scenarios of compatibilization, were prepared, aiming to probe the role of the epoxy-functionalized chains on the interface. The decrease of the interfacial tension in the modified/compatibilized PLA_PBAT and the formation of the PLA-Joncryl-PBAT copolymer were highlighted. A new relaxation peak relative to this copolymer was detected by the relaxation spectrum. Transient start-up shear and nonlinear stress relaxation experiments were carried out and confirmed the obtained results. In addition, the interface contribution was demonstrated using the Lee and Park model. The relaxation time increased with the amount of added Joncryl. Hence, the coexistence of chain extension/branching chains coupled to the PLA-Joncryl-PBAT copolymer formation had to be taken into account to explain the improved mechanical properties.     

Effects of channel dimension,heat flux,and mass flux on flow boiling regimes in microchannels

Experiments are conducted with a perfluorinated dielectric fluid, Fluorinert FC-77, to investigate the effects of channel size and mass flux (225–1420 kg/m²s) on microchannel flow boiling regimes by means of high-speed photography. Seven different silicon test pieces with parallel microchannels of widths ranging from 100 to 5850 μm, all with a depth of 400 μm, are considered. Flow visualizations are performed with a high-speed digital video camera while local measurements of the heat transfer coefficient are simultaneously obtained. The visualizations and the heat transfer data show that flow regimes in the microchannels of width 400 μm and larger are similar, with nucleate boiling being dominant in these channels over a wide range of heat flux. In contrast, flow regimes in the smaller microchannels are different and bubble nucleation at the walls is suppressed at a relatively low heat flux for these sizes. Two types of flow regime maps are developed and the effects of channel width on the flow regime transitions are discussed.     

Lubricated compression of BMC, a concentrated and fibre-reinforced granular polymer suspension

Bulk moulding compounds (BMCs) are thermoset polymer composites widely used in electric and automotive industries. During their processing by injection, BMCs look like fibre-reinforced granular suspensions in the form of pastes, the rheology of which is not well known. For that purpose, lubricated compression tests were performed on BMC samples with various formulations. Firstly, results show that samples flow without sticking to the rheometer’s plates, validating the efficiency of the lubricant. A correction, which requires few assumptions on the rheology of BMC, is then proposed to account for its contribution to the overall axial stress. Thereby, the influences of the axial strain rate, the loading path, the polydispersity of the mineral filler and the fibre content on the BMC flow are analysed. A 1D elementary non-linear viscoelastic model is proposed to capture the main observed trends.     

Magnetic nanoparticles and concentrated magnetic nanofluids： Synthesis, properties and some applications

This paper reviews some recent results concerning chemical synthesis of magnetic nanoparticles and preparation of various types of magnetic nanofluids. Structural properties and behaviour in external magnetic field of magnetic nanofluids will be emphasized with relation to their use in leakage-free rotating seals and in biomedical applications.