Title:
Particles as stabilizers and wetting modifiers in colloidal multiphase systems

dc.contributor.advisor Behrens, Sven H.
dc.contributor.advisor Meredith, J. Carson
dc.contributor.author Zhang, Yi
dc.contributor.committeeMember Reichmanis, Elsa
dc.contributor.committeeMember Deng, Yulin
dc.contributor.committeeMember Fernandez-Nieves, Alberto
dc.contributor.department Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
dc.date.accessioned 2016-08-22T12:22:15Z
dc.date.available 2016-08-22T12:22:15Z
dc.date.created 2016-08
dc.date.issued 2016-05-17
dc.date.submitted August 2016
dc.date.updated 2016-08-22T12:22:15Z
dc.description.abstract Common colloidal systems such as particle suspensions, foams, and emulsions are simply fine dispersions of one phase in another. More complex systems containing multiple dispersed fluids (gas bubbles and liquid droplets or droplets of different immiscible liquids) also occur naturally and even play increasingly important roles in industrial applications such as cosmetics, pharmaceutical formulations, water purification, or food processing. Their various applications depend both on their stability and on their intrinsic wetting morphology. Surfactants traditionally serve as stabilizers and wetting modifiers, but solid particles can sometimes achieve the same goal; moreover, they can have the advantage of providing better resistance to harsh application conditions, posing fewer environmental concerns, and allowing for easier recovery. As part of my doctoral research on particles as stabilizers in a colloidal multiphase system, I discovered a new class of foam material, capillary foam, which is obtained by frothing a particle suspension in the presence of a small amount of oil. I studied the stabilization mechanism, formation stages, effects of process parameters, and various applications of capillary foams. In addition to serving as co-stabilizers, it has been discovered that colloidal particles can be used as efficient wetting modifiers. In the final part of my thesis, the interfacial activity of isotropic silica nanoparticles is analyzed. It is demonstrated that isotropic particles can change interfacial tensions as long as they are delivered to and have strong affinity for the interface. A thermodynamic model is developed to estimate the effective interfacial tensions and packing density of particles in fluid-fluid interfaces, which matches the experimentally measured results.
dc.description.degree Ph.D.
dc.format.mimetype application/pdf
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/1853/55586
dc.language.iso en_US
dc.publisher Georgia Institute of Technology
dc.subject Colloids
dc.subject Interfacial science
dc.subject Foams
dc.subject Wetting
dc.title Particles as stabilizers and wetting modifiers in colloidal multiphase systems
dc.type Text
dc.type.genre Dissertation
dspace.entity.type Publication
local.contributor.advisor Meredith, J. Carson
local.contributor.corporatename School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
local.contributor.corporatename College of Engineering
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relation.isOrgUnitOfPublication 6cfa2dc6-c5bf-4f6b-99a2-57105d8f7a6f
relation.isOrgUnitOfPublication 7c022d60-21d5-497c-b552-95e489a06569
thesis.degree.level Doctoral
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