Investigation of the rheological properties of short glass fiber-filled polypropylene in extensional flow

The behavior of short glass fiber–polypropylene suspensions in extensional flow was investigated using three different commercial instruments: the SER wind-up drums geometry (Extensional Rheology System) with a strain-controlled rotational rheometer, a Meissner-type rheometer (RME), and the Rheotens. Results from uniaxial tensile testing have been compared with data previously obtained using a planar slit die with a hyperbolic entrance. The effect of three initial fiber orientations was investigated: planar random, fully aligned in the stretching flow direction and perpendicular to it. The elongational viscosity increased with fiber content and was larger for fibers initially oriented in the stretching direction. The behavior at low elongational rates showed differences among the various experimental setups, which are partly explained by preshearing history and nonhomogenous strain rates. However, at moderate and high rates, the results are comparable, and the behavior is strain thinning. Finally, a new constitutive equation for fibers suspended into a fluid obeying the Carreau model is used to predict the elongational viscosity, and the predictions are in good agreement with the experimental data.     

Can secondary nucleation exist in ice banding of freezing colloidal suspensions?

The formation mechanism of ice banding in the system of freezing colloidal suspensions, which is of significance in frost heaving, ice-templating porous materials and biological materials, is still a mystery. Recently, the theory of secondary nucleation and growth of ice has been proposed to explain the emergence of a new ice lens. However, this theory has not been quantitatively examined. Here, we quantitatively measure the initial interfacial undercooling of a new ice lens and the nucleation undercoolings of suspensions. We find that the interfacial undercooling cannot satisfy the nucleation undercooling of ice and hence disprove the secondary nucleation mechanism for ice banding.     

Al-Mg MMH溶胶和钠土悬浮体的相互作用机理

通过流变参数、电泳淌度和pH值的测定,研究了无机盐(CaCl₂、KCl、NaCl)和pH值对铝镁混合金属氢氧化物与钠土悬浮体间相互作用的影响。发现随着混合金属氢氧化物含量的增加,钠土体系的pH值逐渐降低,而动切力(YP)先上升,经最大值后逐渐下降;当钠土体系为NaCl所饱和时,相同混合金属氢氧化物加量下YP的上升幅度明显减小,在实验混合金属氢氧化物浓度范围内,YP未出现峰值。混合金属氢氧化物/钠土体系的YP随pH值的变化曲线呈抛物线形,加入相同浓度的无机盐,△YP、△pH(绝对值)按CaCl₂KCl～NaCl次序递减。     

纳米悬浮液热导率测量及其预测模型的探讨

纳米颗粒悬浮液具有广泛应用于强化传热的潜在优势。本文采用加入表面活性剂的方法提高纳米悬浮液的悬浮稳定性,并用瞬态热线法测量了热导率。在分析现有理论模型和纳米悬浮液热导率影响因素研究的基础上,从弹性传动和非弹性传动两方面分析了纳米尺度效应导致纳米悬浮液热导率提高的机理。发现已有的理论公式仍然存在一定欠缺,预测值比实验值偏低,有关机理尚有待于深入探讨。     

Incorporation of smooth spherical bodies in the Lattice Boltzmann method

A method to simulate bodies suspended in a Lattice Boltzmann solvent is proposed. It is based on a generalized reaction force that enforces no-slip boundary conditions at the fluid–body interface as the limiting case of an iterative procedure. A smooth version of the Heaviside function allows to treat spherical particles of arbitrary size and produces smooth hydrodynamic forces as particles move in the continuum. Numerical tests demonstrate the accuracy of the method in reproducing the hydrodynamic field around a single particle and the fluid-mediated forces between pairs of particles. The drag force experienced by a particle moving in a straight channel and at various Reynolds numbers is studied as a non-trivial testcase.     

The role of interfacial layers in the enhanced thermal conductivity of nanofluids: A renovated Hamilton–Crosser model

We previously developed a renovated Maxwell model for the effective thermal conductivity of nanofluids and determined that the solid/liquid interfacial layers play an important role in the enhanced thermal conductivity of nanofluids. However, this renovated Maxwell model is limited to suspensions with spherical particles. Here, we extend the Hamilton--Crosser model for suspensions of nonspherical particles to include the effect of a solid/liquid interface. The solid/liquid interface is described as a confocal ellipsoid with a solid particle. The new model for the three-phase suspensions is mathematically expressed in terms of the equivalent thermal conductivity and equivalent volume fraction of anisotropic complex ellipsoids, as well as an empirical shape factor. With a generalized empirical shape factor, the renovated Hamilton--Crosser model correctly predicts the magnitude of the thermal conductivity of nanotube-in-oil nanofluids. At present, this new model is not able to predict the nonlinear behavior of the nanofluid thermal conductivity.     

Probing particle-particle interactions in flocculated oil-in-water emulsions using ultrasonic attenuation spectrometry

The flocculation of silicone oil-in-water emulsions ( φ = 0.1) containing quasi-monodisperse droplets was studied by ultrasound. The ultrasonic attenuation spectra of emulsions with different particle sizes (200-1600 nm) were measured between 0.5 and 10 MHz using an interferometer. Flocculation was induced by adding excess sodium dodecyl sulphate micelles to the emulsions to increase the attractive forces between the droplets. Droplet flocculation decreased the ultrasonic attenuation at low frequencies because of overlap of the thermal waves caused by the close proximity of the droplets within the flocs. A mean-field model which takes into account this effect was used to determine the droplet volume fraction within the flocs and thus to estimate the distance between the droplets. Received 17 July 2000