305 research outputs found
Electrophoretic mobility of a charged colloidal particle: A computer simulation study
We study the mobility of a charged colloidal particle in a constant
homogeneous electric field by means of computer simulations. The simulation
method combines a lattice Boltzmann scheme for the fluid with standard Langevin
dynamics for the colloidal particle, which is built up from a net of bonded
particles forming the surface of the colloid. The coupling between the two
subsystems is introduced via friction forces. In addition explicit counterions,
also coupled to the fluid, are present. We observe a non-monotonous dependence
of the electrophoretic mobility on the bare colloidal charge. At low surface
charge density we observe a linear increase of the mobility with bare charge,
whereas at higher charges, where more than half of the ions are co-moving with
the colloid, the mobility decreases with increasing bare charge.Comment: 15 pages, 8 figure
Diffuse-Charge Dynamics in Electrochemical Systems
The response of a model micro-electrochemical system to a time-dependent
applied voltage is analyzed. The article begins with a fresh historical review
including electrochemistry, colloidal science, and microfluidics. The model
problem consists of a symmetric binary electrolyte between parallel-plate,
blocking electrodes which suddenly apply a voltage. Compact Stern layers on the
electrodes are also taken into account. The Nernst-Planck-Poisson equations are
first linearized and solved by Laplace transforms for small voltages, and
numerical solutions are obtained for large voltages. The ``weakly nonlinear''
limit of thin double layers is then analyzed by matched asymptotic expansions
in the small parameter , where is the
screening length and the electrode separation. At leading order, the system
initially behaves like an RC circuit with a response time of
(not ), where is the ionic diffusivity, but nonlinearity
violates this common picture and introduce multiple time scales. The charging
process slows down, and neutral-salt adsorption by the diffuse part of the
double layer couples to bulk diffusion at the time scale, . In the
``strongly nonlinear'' regime (controlled by a dimensionless parameter
resembling the Dukhin number), this effect produces bulk concentration
gradients, and, at very large voltages, transient space charge. The article
concludes with an overview of more general situations involving surface
conduction, multi-component electrolytes, and Faradaic processes.Comment: 10 figs, 26 pages (double-column), 141 reference
Statistical-mechanical theory of ultrasonic absorption in molecular liquids
We present results of theoretical description of ultrasonic phenomena in
molecular liquids. In particular, we are interested in the development of
microscopical, i.e., statistical-mechanical framework capable to explain the
long living puzzle of the excess ultrasonic absorption in liquids. Typically,
ultrasonic wave in a liquid can be generated by applying the periodically
alternating external pressure with the angular frequency that corresponds to
the ultrasound. If the perturbation introduced by such process is weak - its
statistical-mechanical treatment can be done with the use of the linear
response theory. We treat the liquid as a system of interacting sites, so that
all the response/aftereffect functions as well as the energy dissipation and
generalized (wave-vector and frequency dependent) ultrasonic absorption
coefficient are obtained in terms of familiar site-site static and time
correlation functions such as static structure factors or intermediate
scattering functions. To express the site-site intermediate scattering
functions we refer to the site-site memory equations in the mode-coupling
approximation for the first-order memory kernels, while equilibrium properties
such as site-site static structure factors, direct and total correlation
functions are deduced from the integral equation theory of molecular liquids
known as RISM or one of its generalizations. All the formalism is phrased in a
general manner, hence the obtained results are expected to work for arbitrary
type of molecular liquid including simple, ionic, polar, and non-polar liquids.Comment: 14 pages, 1 eps-figure, RevTeX4-forma
Can airborne ultrasound monitor bubble size in chocolate?
Aerated chocolate products consist of solid chocolate with the inclusion of bubbles and are a popular consumer product in many countries. The volume fraction and size distribution of the bubbles has an effect on their sensory properties and manufacturing cost. For these reasons it is important to have an online real time process monitoring system capable of measuring their bubble size distribution. As these products are eaten by consumers it is desirable that the monitoring system is non contact to avoid food contaminations. In this work we assess the feasibility of using an airborne ultrasound system to monitor the bubble size distribution in aerated chocolate bars. The experimental results from the airborne acoustic experiments were compared with theoretical results for known bubble size distributions using COMSOL Multiphysics. This combined experimental and theoretical approach is used to develop a greater understanding of how ultrasound propagates through aerated chocolate and to assess the feasibility of using airborne ultrasound to monitor bubble size distribution in these systems. The results indicated that a smaller bubble size distribution would result in an increase in attenuation through the product
The electrical double layer for a fully asymmetric electrolyte around a spherical colloid: an integral equation study
The hypernetted chain/mean spherical approximation (HNC/MSA) integral
equation is obtained and solved numerically for a totally asymmetric primitive
model electrolyte around a spherical macroparticle. The ensuing radial
distribution functions show a very good agreement when compared to our Monte
Carlo and molecular dynamics simulations for spherical geometry and with
respect to previous anisotropic reference HNC calculations in the planar limit.
We report an analysis of the potential vs charge relationship, radial
distribution functions, mean electrostatic potential and cumulative reduced
charge for representative cases of 1:1 and 2:2 salts with a size asymmetry
ratio of 2. Our results are collated with those of the Modified Gouy-Chapman
(MGC) and unequal radius Modified Gouy-Chapman (URMGC) theories and with those
of HNC/MSA in the restricted primitive model (RPM) to assess the importance of
size asymmetry effects. One of the most striking characteristics found is
that,\textit{contrary to the general belief}, away from the point of zero
charge the properties of an asymmetric electrical double layer (EDL) are not
those corresponding to a symmetric electrolyte with the size and charge of the
counterion, i.e. \textit{counterions do not always dominate}. This behavior
suggests the existence of a new phenomenology in the EDL that genuinely belongs
to a more realistic size-asymmetric model where steric correlations are taken
into account consistently. Such novel features can not be described by
traditional mean field theories like MGC, URMGC or even by enhanced formalisms,
like HNC/MSA, if they are based on the RPM.Comment: 29 pages, 13 figure
Nonlinear electrochemical relaxation around conductors
We analyze the simplest problem of electrochemical relaxation in more than
one dimension - the response of an uncharged, ideally polarizable metallic
sphere (or cylinder) in a symmetric, binary electrolyte to a uniform electric
field. In order to go beyond the circuit approximation for thin double layers,
our analysis is based on the Poisson-Nernst-Planck (PNP) equations of dilute
solution theory. Unlike most previous studies, however, we focus on the
nonlinear regime, where the applied voltage across the conductor is larger than
the thermal voltage. In such strong electric fields, the classical model
predicts that the double layer adsorbs enough ions to produce bulk
concentration gradients and surface conduction. Our analysis begins with a
general derivation of surface conservation laws in the thin double-layer limit,
which provide effective boundary conditions on the quasi-neutral bulk. We solve
the resulting nonlinear partial differential equations numerically for strong
fields and also perform a time-dependent asymptotic analysis for weaker fields,
where bulk diffusion and surface conduction arise as first-order corrections.
We also derive various dimensionless parameters comparing surface to bulk
transport processes, which generalize the Bikerman-Dukhin number. Our results
have basic relevance for double-layer charging dynamics and nonlinear
electrokinetics in the ubiquitous PNP approximation.Comment: 25 pages, 17 figures, 4 table
Characterizing generated charged inverse micelles with transient current measurements
We investigate the generation of charged inverse micelles in nonpolar surfactant solutions relevant for applications such as electronic ink displays and liquid toners. When a voltage is applied across a thin layer of a nonpolar surfactant solution between planar electrodes, the generation of charged inverse micelles leads to a generation current. From current measurements it appears that such charged inverse micelles generated in the presence of an electric field behave differently compared to those present in equilibrium in the absence of a field. To examine the origin of this difference, transient current measurements in which the applied voltage is suddenly increased are used to measure the mobility and the amount of generated charged inverse micelles. The mobility and the corresponding hydrodynamic size are found to be similar to those of charged inverse micelles present in equilibrium, which indicates that other properties determine their different behavior. The amplitude and shape of the transient currents measured as a function of the surfactant concentration confirm that the charged inverse micelles are generated by bulk disproportionation. A theoretical model based on bulk disproportionation with simulations and analytical approximations is developed to analyze the experimental transient currents
Influence of particle size on appearance and in vitro efficacy of sunscreens
Nanotechnology applies to diverse sectors of science. In cosmetic area, investments have strengthened the idea that nanoproducts provide innumerable benefits to consumers. Extreme exposition to solar light can cause undesirable effects, thus, adding UV filters in cosmetic products are often used as prevention. Ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate and benzophenone-3 are UV filters widely used in sunscreen formulations, this UV filters absorb UVB and UVA radiation, respectively. In this study, sunscreen formulations were developed as nano and macroemulsion, but composed by the same raw material. Nanoemulsion was obtained by phase inversion temperature method (PIT). Physical and functional properties were evaluated by visual analysis, particle size distribution and by diffuse reflectance spectrophotometry. Achieved nanoemulsion showed bluish brightness aspect, less apparent consistency than macroemulsion, stability longer than 48 hours (22.0 ± 2.0 °C) and bimodal particle size distribution with average (mean) sizes around 10 nm (61%) and 4.5 µm (39%). Macroemulsion showed milky aspect, higher consistency than nanoemulsion, instability after 48 hours (22.0 ± 2.0 °C) and bimodal particle size distribution with average (mean) size around 202 nm (9%) and 10.4 µm (91%). Effectiveness profile of sunscreen formulations remained apparently similar, based on achieved results of in vitro SPF, UVA/UVB ratio and critical wavelength assays
Theory of rotating electrohydrodynamic flows in a liquid film
The mathematical model of rotating electrohydrodynamic flows in a thin suspended liquid film is proposed and studied. The flows are driven by the given difference of potentials in one direction and constant external electric field E-out in another direction in the plane of a film. To derive the model, we employ the spatial averaging over the normal coordinate to a film that leads to the average Reynolds stress that is proportional to vertical bar E-out vertical bar(3). This stress generates tangential velocity in the vicinity of the edges of a film that, in turn, causes the rotational motion of a liquid. The proposed model is used to explain the experimental observations of the liquid film motor
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