Probing and Modulating Interactions of Drops, Bubbles and Particles with Implications for Chemical Engineering Processes

探测和调节液滴、气泡和颗粒的相互作用对化学工程过程的影响

• 批准号: RGPIN-2020-04196
• 负责人: Zeng, Hongbo
• 金额: $ 6.56万
• 依托单位: University of Alberta
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2021-01-01 至 2022-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=739737
• 关键词: Probing; Modulating; Interactions; Drops; Bubbles

Canada has a vast wealth of natural resources (e.g., minerals, crude oil, crude bitumen, natural gas), contributing significantly to the national economy. The interactions of liquid drops, gas bubbles and solid particles in complex fluid environment, particularly in the presence interface-active species (e.g., surfactants, polymers, particles), play a critical role in determine the efficiency and performance of numerous engineering processes in natural resources production (e.g., mineral flotation, bitumen extraction, oil/water separation, wastewater treatment). Previous studies have mainly focused on the intermolecular and surface interactions of soft materials and particle systems with "clean" interfaces (without interface-active species) and solid substrates with homogeneous surface chemistry. In practical engineering applications, however, interface-active species are widely present at solid/oil/water/gas interfaces and in bulk fluids, while many solid surfaces show heterogeneity in surface chemistry. Quantifying the interaction forces of these deformable material systems (e.g., drops, bubbles) and solids with surface heterogeneity in the presence of interface-active species is much more challenging, but is of fundamental and practical importance, which will be the main focus of this proposed research. The long-term objective of this proposed program is to elucidate the physicochemical properties and interaction mechanisms of drops, bubbles and particles in the presence of interface-active species (e.g., surfactants, polymers, nanoparticles) at the nano- and micro-scale. The short-term objectives are to (1) quantify the intermolecular and surface forces and establish the interaction mechanisms, particularly hydrophobic interaction, of liquid drops, gas bubbles and solid particles in aqueous media, by modulating surface chemistry, nanoscale heterogeneity, interfacial molecular mobility and water chemistry, in the presence of interface-active species, and (2) elucidate the interaction mechanisms of liquid drops, gas bubbles and solid particles with slippery surfaces, towards the development of novel slippery surfaces with controlled motion manipulation of drops/bubbles/particles. The proposed research will fill the knowledge gap on the fundamental interaction mechanisms of drops, bubbles and fine solids in the presence of interface-active species, particularly on quantification of their intermolecular and surface forces, the origin of hydrophobic interactions, and how hydrophobic effects and other surface forces contribute to their interaction behaviors (e.g., assembly, aggregation, and coalescence). The proposed research will also provide new insights on how to efficiently and effectively modulate these interactions in related engineering processes and help develop new materials and surfaces towards more efficient industrial processes. The research outcomes will facilitate the sustainable development of natural resources.

加拿大拥有丰富的自然资源（例如矿产、原油、原油沥青、天然气），对国民经济做出了巨大贡献。复杂流体环境中液滴、气泡和固体颗粒的相互作用，特别是在存在界面活性物质（例如表面活性剂、聚合物、颗粒）的情况下，在确定自然环境中众多工程过程的效率和性能方面发挥着关键作用。资源生产（例如矿物浮选、沥青提取、油/水分离、废水处理）。以前的研究主要集中在具有“干净”界面（无界面活性物质）的软材料和颗粒系统以及具有均匀表面化学的固体基材的分子间和表面相互作用。然而，在实际工程应用中，界面活性物质广泛存在于固体/油/水/气界面和本体流体中，而许多固体表面在表面化学方面表现出异质性。在存在界面活性物质的情况下，量化这些可变形材料系统（例如，液滴、气泡）和具有表面异质性的固体的相互作用力更具挑战性，但具有基础和实际重要性，这将是本文的主要焦点提出的研究。该计划的长期目标是阐明纳米和微米尺度上存在界面活性物质（例如表面活性剂、聚合物、纳米颗粒）时液滴、气泡和颗粒的物理化学性质和相互作用机制。短期目标是（1）量化分子间力和表面力，并通过调节表面化学、纳米级异质性、界面分子迁移率，建立水介质中液滴、气泡和固体颗粒的相互作用机制，特别是疏水相互作用。和水化学，在界面活性物质存在的情况下，以及（2）阐明液滴、气泡和固体颗粒与光滑表面的相互作用机制，以开发具有受控运动操纵的新型光滑表面水滴/气泡/颗粒。拟议的研究将填补界面活性物质存在下液滴、气泡和细小固体的基本相互作用机制的知识空白，特别是它们的分子间和表面力的量化、疏水相互作用的起源以及疏水如何影响和其他表面力有助于它们的相互作用行为（例如组装、聚集和聚结）。拟议的研究还将提供有关如何高效地调节相关工程过程中这些相互作用的新见解，并帮助开发新材料和表面以实现更高效的工业过程。研究成果将促进自然资源的可持续发展。