Direct numerical simulation of an arbitrarily shaped particle at a fluidic interface.

Area of Science:

• Physics
• Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Colloidal particles at fluid interfaces are crucial in stabilizing emulsions and in processes like enhanced oil recovery.
• Simulating the behavior of arbitrarily shaped colloidal particles at deformable interfaces presents significant computational challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a consistent numerical formulation for simulating arbitrarily shaped colloidal particles at deformable fluidic interfaces.
• To investigate the dynamics and detachment behavior of different colloidal particle shapes (rodlike, platelike, ringlike) at fluid interfaces.

Main Methods:

• A direct numerical simulation approach is employed, decomposing rigid colloidal particles into spherical beads.
• Three-phase boundaries are handled using smoothly spreading interfaces.
• The dynamics of various particle shapes are simulated and analyzed.

Main Results:

• Platelike particles exhibit faster attachment to fluidic interfaces and are more resistant to dislodgement.
• A critical Bond number (Bo) of 0.75 was determined for spherical particle detachment.
• Platelike and ringlike particles with equivalent masses detach at higher critical Bond numbers (approximately Bo=1.3).

Conclusions:

• The developed formulation enables dynamic simulation of complex 3D colloidal shapes.
• Particle shape significantly influences interfacial adhesion and detachment dynamics.
• Findings have implications for colloid-stabilized emulsions and bubble-based particle recovery.