Modeling of particles dispersion on liquid surfaces

Sathishkumar Gurupatham, Bhavin Dalal, Sai Nudurupati, Ian S. Fischer, Pushpendra Singh, Daniel D. Joseph

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

When small particles (e.g., flour, pollen, etc.) come in contact with a liquid surface, they immediately disperse. The dispersion can occur so quickly that it appears explosive, especially for small particles on the surface of mobile liquids like water. This explosive-like dispersion is the consequence of capillary forces pulling particles into the interface causing them to accelerate to a relatively large velocity. The maximum velocity increases with decreasing particle size; for nanometer-sized particles (e.g., viruses and proteins), the velocity on an air-water interface can be as large as 47 m/s. We also show that particles oscillate at a relatively-high frequency about their floating equilibrium before coming to stop under viscous drag. The observed dispersion is a result of strong repulsive hydrodynamic forces that arise because of these oscillations.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationASME 2010 3rd Joint US-European Fluids Engineering Summer Meeting Collocated with 8th International Conference on Nanochannels, Microchannels, and Minichannels, FEDSM2010
Pages1429-1432
Number of pages4
EditionPARTS A, B AND C
DOIs
StatePublished - 2010
EventASME 2010 3rd Joint US-European Fluids Engineering Summer Meeting, FEDSM 2010 Collocated with 8th International Conference on Nanochannels, Microchannels, and Minichannels - Montreal, QC, Canada
Duration: Aug 1 2010Aug 5 2010

Publication series

NameAmerican Society of Mechanical Engineers, Fluids Engineering Division (Publication) FEDSM
NumberPARTS A, B AND C
Volume1
ISSN (Print)0888-8116

Other

OtherASME 2010 3rd Joint US-European Fluids Engineering Summer Meeting, FEDSM 2010 Collocated with 8th International Conference on Nanochannels, Microchannels, and Minichannels
Country/TerritoryCanada
CityMontreal, QC
Period8/1/108/5/10

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Mechanical Engineering

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