Direct Investigation of Suspension Flow in an Ideal Micro-porous medium
M.Tharanga Perera (Lehigh University), Bu Xu (Lehigh University), James Gilchrist (Lehigh University)
Complex Fluids: Suspensions, Emulsions, and Gels
Tue 10:45 - 12:15
Barus-Holley 160
Knowing the microstructure formation in sheared suspensions is key to understanding the rheological behavior of flowing particulate systems. Previous results obtained numerically via Stokesian Dynamics reveal an anisotropic structure forming under high Peclet number conditions. An experimental technique based on Confocal laser scanning microscopy was utilized to determine the microstructure of near-hard-sphere microparticle suspensions based on experimentally obtained 3D particle positions. Results of simulation-like quality are produced by this technique, and the effect of Pe and interparticle forces were investigated previously (B. Xu and Gilchrist). Suspensions flowing in different geometries can give rise to interesting phenomena such as particle string formation. This work outlines the study of microstructure of a colloidal suspension flowing around a post in a well-structured micro-porous medium. The formation of strings under shear closer the post is noticed. Normal stresses will also be investigated in order to address this phenomenon.