Mesoscale simulation of soft particles with tunable contact angle in multicomponent fluids

Area of Science:

• Soft matter physics
• Computational fluid dynamics
• Interfacial phenomena

Background:

• Soft particles at fluid interfaces are vital in industries like food, paints, and medicine.
• Existing analytical and experimental methods struggle to capture complex dynamics of soft particle suspensions.
• There is a need for efficient numerical methods to model dense soft particle suspensions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate an efficient numerical method for simulating soft particles at and near fluid-fluid interfaces.
• To characterize fluid-structure coupling errors for particle shape at interfaces.
• To investigate the impact of particle properties (wettability, softness) on interfacial behavior.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the lattice Boltzmann method for fluid simulation.
• Developed a fluid-structure coupling approach for soft particles.
• Analyzed particle equilibrium shape, adsorption, and displacement at fluid interfaces.
• Simulated scenarios including shear flow and droplet encapsulation.

Main Results:

• The proposed method accurately simulates soft particles at fluid interfaces.
• Quantified errors in particle shape due to fluid-structure coupling.
• Demonstrated the influence of contact angle and particle softness on particle vertical displacement.
• Successfully modeled complex interfacial phenomena like capsule adsorption and droplet covering.

Conclusions:

• The lattice Boltzmann-based method provides a versatile tool for simulating soft particle suspensions at interfaces.
• The findings offer insights into particle behavior relevant to various industrial applications.
• This computational approach complements experimental studies and aids in understanding interfacial soft matter dynamics.