Interactions between deformable components of complex fluids

复杂流体是多组分流体，其中存在于流体中的不同物质彼此相互作用并与流体环境相互作用。这种相互作用赋予这些流体新的性质，例如相分离、粘度改变、光密度等，以及对外力，特别是电磁力做出不同反应的能力。 乳化液、泥浆、废水、药物制剂、化妆品、石油化学品和生物流体（如血液）都是复杂流体的例子。上述的一些，例如乳液和生物流体的特征在于悬浮在其中的可变形或柔性实体的存在。乳液液滴或细胞可由于与其他细胞的相互作用以及在外力存在下而变形。 拟议的研究计划将继续我们的努力，了解复杂流体的可变形胶体成分之间的相互作用的结果。我们研究的一个重点将是发展一个主要的实验理解如何外力改变这种相互作用，导致分离技术领域的新应用。我们最近获得的微粒图像测速仪和同步静态和动态光散射设施，并与我们现有的原子力显微镜相结合，我们将表征液-液乳液和缔合胶体（乳液，囊泡和表面活性剂稳定液滴）的组分之间的相互作用。 然后，我们将这些复杂的流体外部施加的直流和交流电场，以阐明它们的传输行为和结构的修改存在的外力。最后，我们将探讨交流介电电泳现象与膜过滤相结合，以分离复杂流体的组分。拟议的研究的主要应用是（i）在开发新的方法，用于改善油砂提取过程相关的脱水提取的沥青，和（ii）在开发新的分离技术，可以处理含油废水中产生的许多工业废水和油砂尾矿。

Complex fluids are multi-component fluids, where different species present in the fluid interact with each other and the fluid surroundings. Such interactions impart novel properties to these fluids, such as phase separation, modification of viscosity, optical density, etc., and ability to respond differently to external forces, particularly electromagnetic. Emulsions, slurries, wastewater, drug formulations, cosmetics, petrochemicals, and biological fluids such as blood are all examples of complex fluids. Some of the above, such as emulsions and biological fluids are characterized by the presence of deformable or flexible entities suspended in them. An emulsion droplet or a cell can deform due to interaction with other cells, as well as in presence of external forces. The proposed research program will continue our efforts toward understanding the outcomes of interactions between the deformable colloidal components of complex fluids. A key focus of our studies will be to develop a predominantly experimental understanding of how external forces alter such interactions, leading to novel applications in the area of separation technologies. With our recently acquired micro particle image velocimetry and simultaneous static and dynamic light scattering facilities, and in conjunction with our existing atomic force microscope, we will characterize the interactions between components of liquid-liquid emulsions and association colloids (emulsions, vesicles, and surfactant stabilized droplets). We will then subject these complex fluids to externally imposed DC and AC electric fields to elucidate their transport behaviour and structural modifications in presence of external forces. Finally, we will explore the phenomenon of AC dielectrophoresis in conjunction with membrane filtration to separate the components of complex fluids. The key applications of the proposed research are (i) in the development of novel approaches for improving oil sands extraction processes related to dewatering of the extracted bitumen, and (ii) in the development of novel separation technologies that can treat oily wastewaters produced in many industrial effluents and in the oil sands tailings.