Brownian effects

However, for nonspherical particles, rotational Brownian motion effects already arise at 0(0). In the case of ellipsoidal particles, such calculations have a long history, dating back to early polymer-solution rheologists such as Simha and Kirkwood. Some of the history of early incorrect attempts to include such rotary Brownian effects is documented by Haber and Brenner (1984) in a paper addressed to calculating the 0(0) coefficient and normal stress coefficients for general triaxiai ellipsoidal particles in the case where the rotary Brownian motion is dominant over the shear (small rotary Peclet numbers)—a problem first resolved by Rallison (1978). 

Smoluchowski theory [29, 30] and its modifications fonu the basis of most approaches used to interpret bimolecular rate constants obtained from chemical kinetics experiments in tenus of difhision effects [31]. The Smoluchowski model is based on Brownian motion theory underlying the phenomenological difhision equation in the absence of external forces. In the standard picture, one considers a dilute fluid solution of reactants A and B with [A] [B] and asks for the time evolution of [B] in the vicinity of A, i.e. of the density distribution p(r,t) = [B](rl)/[B] 2i ] r(t))l ] Q ([B] is assumed not to change appreciably during the reaction). The initial distribution and the outer and inner boundary conditions are chosen, respectively, as... 

The viscosity of a suspension of ellipsoids depends on the orientation of the particle with respect to the flow streamlines. The ellipsoidal particle causes more disruption of the flow when it is perpendicular to the streamlines than when it is aligned with them the viscosity in the former case is greater than in the latter. For small particles the randomizing effect of Brownian motion is assumed to override any tendency to assume a preferred orientation in the flow. 

In view of the facts that three-dimensional coUoids are common and that Brownian motion and gravity nearly always operate on them and the dispersiag medium, a comparison of the effects of particle size on the distance over which a particle translationaUy diffuses and that over which it settles elucidates the coUoidal size range. The distances traversed ia 1 h by spherical particles with specific gravity 2.0, and suspended ia a fluid with specific gravity 1.0, each at 293 K, are given ia Table 1. The dashed lines are arbitrary boundaries between which the particles are usuaUy deemed coUoidal because the... 

Table 1. Effect of Spherical Particle Size on the Relative Brownian Diffusion and the Sedimentation Distances After 1 h in Water at 293 K...

Diffusion filtration is another contributor to the process of sand filtration. Diffusion in this case is that of Brownian motion obtained by thermal agitation forces. This compliments the mechanism in sand filtration. Diffusion increases the contact probability between the particles themselves as well as between the latter and the filter mass. This effect occurs both in water in motion and in stagnant water, and is quite important in the mechanisms of agglomeration of particles (e.g., flocculation). 

Diffusion effect The capture of particles due to Brownian motion. 

The structure formation in an ER fluid was simulated [99]. The characteristic parameter is the ratio of the Brownian force to the dipolar force. Over a wide range of this ratio there is rapid chain formation followed by aggregation of chains into thick columns with a body-centered tetragonal structure observed. Above a threshold of the intensity of an external ahgn-ing field, condensation of the particles happens [100]. This effect has also been studied for MR fluids [101]. The rheological behavior of ER fluids [102] depends on the structure formed chainlike, shear-string, or liquid. Coexistence in dipolar fluids in a field [103], for a Stockmayer fluid in an applied field [104], and the structure of soft-sphere dipolar fluids were investigated [105], and ferroelectric phases were found [106]. An island of vapor-liquid coexistence was found for dipolar hard spherocylinders [107]. It exists between a phase where the particles form chains of dipoles in a nose-to-tail... 

Brownian movement becomes appreciable for particles under 3 microns and predominates when the particle size reaches 0.1 micron [13]. This motion usually has little effect in the average industrial process settling system except for the very fine fogs and dusts. However, this does not mean that problems are not present in special applicauons. 

From the image sequences, information on the velocities of nano-particles can be extracted. The statistical effect of Brownian motion on the flowing speed of the mixed liquid is found small enough to be ignored as shown in Fig. 37 where most of the particles trajectories in the liquid are straight lines and parallel with the wall basically. Therefore, Brownian diffusive motion is ignorable. 

The hydrodynamic drag experienced by the diffusing molecule is caused by interactions with the surrounding fluid and the surfaces of the gel fibers. This effect is expected to be significant for large and medium-size molecules. Einstein [108] used arguments from the random Brownian motion of particles to find that the diffusion coefficient for a single molecule in a fluid is proportional to the temperature and inversely proportional to the frictional coefficient by... 

Cukier [87], using an effective medium-type approach, analyzed the diffusion of Brownian spheres in two semidilute polymer solutions The first was composed of long... 

Hydrophobic colloidal particles move readily in the liqnid phase under the effect of thermal motion of the solvent molelcnles (in this case the motion is called Brownian) or under the effect of an external electric field. The surfaces of such particles as a rule are charged (for the same reasons for which the snrfaces of larger metal and insnlator particles in contact with a solution are charged). As a result, an EDL is formed and a certain valne of the zeta potential developed. 

The velocity, viscosity, density, and channel-height values are all similar to UF, but the diffusivity of large particles (MF) is orders-of-magnitude lower than the diffusivity of macromolecules (UF). It is thus quite surprising to find the fluxes of cross-flow MF processes to be similar to, and often higher than, UF fluxes. Two primary theories for the enhanced diffusion of particles in a shear field, the inertial-lift theory and the shear-induced theory, are explained by Davis [in Ho and Sirkar (eds.), op. cit., pp. 480-505], and Belfort, Davis, and Zydney [/. Membrane. Sci., 96, 1-58 (1994)]. While not clear-cut, shear-induced diffusion is quite large compared to Brownian diffusion except for those cases with very small particles or very low cross-flow velocity. The enhancement of mass transfer in turbulent-flow microfiltration, a major effect, remains completely empirical. 

---