Shear Induced Particle Diffusion in Dilute Susspensions: Some Recent Theoretical Results

Mobile particulate systems involve the mechanics, flow and transport properties of mixtures of fluids and solids. These systems are intrinsic to the rheology of emulsions and suspensions, flocculation and aggregation, sedimentation and fluidization, flow of granular media, nucleation and growth of small particles, segregation, attrition and solidification processes. Its diversity means that the area has been studied by a number of different disciplines (e.g. chemical or civil engineering, mechanics, hydrodynamics, geophysics, condensed matter and statistical physics, etc.). Mobile Particulate Systems features general, orientational lectures and advanced topics, covering state of the art approaches to the study of suspensions, fluidized beds, sedimentation and granular flows

Motion of rigid aggregates under different flow conditions

The response of rigid aggregates to different flow fields was investigated theoretically using model clusters with realistic three-dimensional structure composed of identical spherical primary particles. The aim is to relate the main fluid dynamic properties of the system with the geometry and morphology of the aggregates. Our simulations were based on Stokesian dynamics. The dilute limit of a colloidal aggregate system was studied, where aggregates are very far from each other and hence mutual interaggregate interactions are negligible. The motion of aggregates was characterized in terms of translational mobility and angular velocity, and the ability of simple models, based on either simplified aggregate geometry or the concept of permeability, to capture the main features of the motion was examined