(6bt) Hydrodynamics and Phase Separation in Complex Fluids

A fundamental understanding of soft matter and complex fluids is crucial for the development of emerging technologies such as 3D printing, artificial blood, and engineered biological tissues, as well as solving existing industrial challenges in enhanced oil recovery, water recycling, food processing, and others. Here I provide a brief overview of my research on fluid mechanics and soft matter physics in complex fluid systems. In particular, this overview includes:

(i)  The first dynamic force measurements of the adhesion between two vesicles in suspension, including the impact of membrane tension and separation velocity [1, 2].

(ii)  A scaling analysis to account for dimple formation in the drainage of thin films prior to phase separation in emulsions [3].

(iii)  Measurements of the impact of interfacial rheology on the amount of liquid entrained during the formation of foam films.

References:

[1] J.M. Frostad, M.C. Collins, L.G. Leal. “Cantilevered-capillary force apparatus for measuring multi-phase fluid interactions” Langmuir 29, 47154725 (2013).

[2] J.M. Frostad, M. Seth, S.M. Bernasek, L.G. Leal. “Direct measurement of interaction forces between charged, multilamellar vesicles”. Soft Matter 10, 7769-80 (2014).

[3] J.M. Frostad, J. Walter, L.G. Leal. “A scaling relation for the capillary-pressure driven drainage of thin films” Physics of Fluids 25, 052108 (2013).