Participants: Dayong Chen. Philippe Bourrianne
Collaboration with Gareth McKinley, MIT MechE and co-PI Kripa Varanasi, MIT MechE
Funding from MITEI (Exxon Mobil)
This basic research project seeks to provide understanding of factors that govern interaction between various adsorbates and functionalized substrates, wherethe functionalization is achieved through a combination of physical (texturing/patterning) and chemical modification of surfaces. Adsorbate systems range from single phase liquids (low to high interfacial tension),multiphase liquids (various levels of intermixing of low and high interfacial tension liquids), single phase multicomponent systems and multiphase solid/liquid systems including polar and nonpolar species. The additional effect of laminar/turbulent flow on stability of functionalization, and drag reduction characteristics will be also studied. Current focus in the project is on the interplay of multiphase/multicomponent liquids with functionalized substrates as well as investigation of factors governing adsorption of polar particulate species such as asphaltenes from multiphase multicomponent liquids.
