The functionality and performance of colloidal suspensions used in catalyst layer preparation and biomedical applications are largely dependent on the interaction between nanoparticles in colloidal suspension systems. Previous models (e.g., collision model) usually rely on an artificial repulsive force as the sole interaction between nanoparticles to prevent overlapping, but fail to capture the agglomeration or reveal the effect of solvents. In this study, the Derjaguin–Landau–Verwey–Overbeek (DLVO) theory is implemented in conjunction with a lattice Boltzmann-smoothed profile method developed to simulate the dynamic solid–fluid and particle–particle interactions between nanoparticles in shear flow. Both aqueous and non-aqueous solvents are considered. The model consists of an attractive van der Waals force and repulsive electrostatic and Born forces in aqueous solvents and is modified for non-aqueous solvents by replacing the repulsive electrostatic force by Coulombic repulsion. The numerical model is validated against a benchmark analytic solution for the motion of one nanoparticle in shear flow. For two-particle systems, physically representative simulations are obtained with the DLVO models, resulting in nanoparticles that remain attached or eventually detach depending on a critical particle Reynolds number. Furthermore, the DLVO models properly resolve the effect of solvents on nanoparticle motion. The improved representation of inter-particle interactions achieved with the DLVO and modified-DLVO models provides a physically consistent approach to simulate and investigate agglomeration and dispersion in colloidal suspensions.
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April 2020
Research Article|
April 06 2020
Predicting the interaction between nanoparticles in shear flow using lattice Boltzmann method and Derjaguin–Landau–Verwey–Overbeek (DLVO) theory
Special Collection:
Selected Papers from the 30th International Symposium on Transport Phenomena
Mohammad Rahnama;
Mohammad Rahnama
3
Department of Mechanical Engineering, and Institute for Integrated Energy Systems (IESVic), University of Victoria
, P.O. Box 3055 STN CSC, Victoria, British Columbia V8W 3P6, Canada
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Biao Zhang (张彪);
Biao Zhang (张彪)
1
Key Laboratory of Low-Grade Energy Utilization Technologies and Systems, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University
, Chongqing 400030, China
2
Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, School of Energy and Power Engineering, Chongqing University
, Chongqing 400030, China
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Xun Zhu (朱恂)
;
Xun Zhu (朱恂)
a)
1
Key Laboratory of Low-Grade Energy Utilization Technologies and Systems, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University
, Chongqing 400030, China
2
Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, School of Energy and Power Engineering, Chongqing University
, Chongqing 400030, China
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Pang-Chieh Sui (隋邦杰);
Pang-Chieh Sui (隋邦杰)
a)
4
School of Automotive Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology
, Wuhan 430070, China
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Ding-Ding Ye (叶丁丁);
Ding-Ding Ye (叶丁丁)
1
Key Laboratory of Low-Grade Energy Utilization Technologies and Systems, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University
, Chongqing 400030, China
2
Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, School of Energy and Power Engineering, Chongqing University
, Chongqing 400030, China
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Ned Djilali
Ned Djilali
1
Key Laboratory of Low-Grade Energy Utilization Technologies and Systems, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University
, Chongqing 400030, China
2
Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, School of Energy and Power Engineering, Chongqing University
, Chongqing 400030, China
3
Department of Mechanical Engineering, and Institute for Integrated Energy Systems (IESVic), University of Victoria
, P.O. Box 3055 STN CSC, Victoria, British Columbia V8W 3P6, Canada
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Note: This paper is part of the Special Issue from the 30th International Symposium on Transport Phenomena.
Physics of Fluids 32, 043302 (2020)
Article history
Received:
December 22 2019
Accepted:
March 09 2020
Citation
Li Jiang, Mohammad Rahnama, Biao Zhang, Xun Zhu, Pang-Chieh Sui, Ding-Ding Ye, Ned Djilali; Predicting the interaction between nanoparticles in shear flow using lattice Boltzmann method and Derjaguin–Landau–Verwey–Overbeek (DLVO) theory. Physics of Fluids 1 April 2020; 32 (4): 043302. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5142669
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