Interactions between deformable components of complex fluids

复杂流体是多组分流体，流体中存在的不同物质相互作用，并与流体环境相互作用。这种相互作用赋予这些流体新的特性，如相分离、粘度改变、光密度等，以及对外力（特别是电磁外力）做出不同反应的能力。乳剂、浆液、废水、药物制剂、化妆品、石油化工产品和血液等生物流体都是复杂流体的例子。上述一些物质，如乳剂和生物流体，其特点是存在悬浮在其中的可变形或柔性实体。乳剂液滴或细胞可能由于与其他细胞的相互作用以及外力的存在而变形。提出的研究计划将继续我们的努力，以了解复杂流体的可变形胶体组分之间的相互作用的结果。我们研究的一个重点将是对外力如何改变这种相互作用进行主要的实验理解，从而导致分离技术领域的新应用。利用我们最近获得的微粒子图像测速仪和同步静态和动态光散射设备，并结合我们现有的原子力显微镜，我们将表征液-液乳剂和结合胶体（乳剂、囊泡和表面活性剂稳定液滴）组分之间的相互作用。然后，我们将这些复杂的流体置于外部施加的直流和交流电场中，以阐明它们在外力存在下的输运行为和结构变化。最后，我们将探讨交流电泳术与膜过滤相结合的现象，以分离复杂流体的成分。拟议研究的主要应用是：(i)开发改进油砂提取过程的新方法，涉及提取沥青的脱水；（ii）开发可处理许多工业废水和油砂尾矿中产生的含油废水的新分离技术。

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.