Theoretical and numerical calculations for the dynamics of colloidal suspensions of molecular particles in flowing solution inside mesopores
The purpose of this thesis is to develop a comprehensive model analysis in a three-dimensional spatial frame for the dynamics of molecular particles in dilute colloidal suspensions in solutions flowing inside pores of variable width, subject to hydrodynamic forces, Brownian motion and diffusive coll...
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| Language: | ENG |
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Université du Maine
2012
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| Online Access: | http://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00718615 http://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/docs/00/71/86/15/PDF/2012LEMA1004_converti.pdf |
| Summary: | The purpose of this thesis is to develop a comprehensive model analysis in a three-dimensional spatial frame for the dynamics of molecular particles in dilute colloidal suspensions in solutions flowing inside pores of variable width, subject to hydrodynamic forces, Brownian motion and diffusive collisions at the rough pore boundaries, by using numerical simulations. The approach by simulations is necessary because it is extremely complex to use analytical tools at present to deal with the problem of diffusive collisions of the particles at the solid pore boundaries. The algorithms which we have developed and the corresponding simulations are sufficiently general and refined to be directly applied to the study of the dynamics of a wide variety of polymer and biological particles in dilute solutions under diverse physical and applicable hydrodynamic conditions inside pores. Moreover, the mechanisms leading to the adhesion of particles of nano sizes under what would be non-equilibrium conditions, due to the conflicting influence of the mechanical diffusive collisions and the attractive Hamaker forces at the boundaries, are of major interest. We have hence investigated a theoretical model to calculate the restitution coefficient from basic physical principles. The objective is to quantify the energy balance during the process of a diffusive collision of a nano particle under the influence of the repulsive forces on one hand, and the attractive Hamaker forces acting on the nano particle on the other. This is done by developing a model, based on the JKR and Hertz theories, to account for the energy losses during collisions, and for the energy gains due to the Hamaker interactions. Adhesion becomes an outcome if the energy balance permits this. Our theoretical model is developed by proposing a special analytic approach based on the Hamaker potential. We derive from the theoretical analysis a characteristic nonlinear equation for the restitution coefficient, and analyze its properties which determine under given physical conditions the outcome for adhesion or not. |
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