Polymer entanglement loss in extensional flow: Evidence from electrospun short nanofibers

Droplet microfluidics provides a versatile tool for measuring interfacial tensions between two immiscible fluids owing to its abilities of fast response, enhanced throughput, portability and easy manipulations of fluid compositions, comparing to conventional techniques. Purely homogeneous extension in the microfluidic device is desirable to measure the interfacial tension because the flow field enables symmetric droplet deformation along the outflow direction. To do so, we designed a microfluidic device consisting of a droplet production region to first generate emulsion droplets at a flow-focusing area. The droplets are then trapped at a stagnation point in the cross junction area, subsequently being stretched along the outflow direction under the extensional flow. These droplets in the device are either confined or unconfined in the channel walls depending on the channel height, which yields different droplet deformations. To calculate the interfacial tension for confined and unconfined droplet cases, quasi-static 2D Darcy approximation model and quasi-static 3D small deformation model are used. For the confined droplet case under the extensional flow, an effective viscosity of the two immiscible fluids, accounting for the viscosity ratio of continuous and dispersed phases, captures the droplet deformation well. However, the 2D model is limited to the case where the droplet is confined in the channel walls and deforms two-dimensionally. For the unconfined droplet case, the 3D model provides more robust estimates than the 2D model. We demonstrate that both 2D and 3D models provide good interfacial tension measurements under quasi-static extensional flows in comparison with the conventional pendant drop method.

Download Full-text

A novel approach to the study of extensional flow-induced crystallization

Polymer Testing ◽

10.1016/j.polymertesting.2021.107060 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 96 ◽

pp. 107060

Author(s):

Juliana Amirdine ◽

Thouaïba Htira ◽

Nicolas Lefevre ◽

René Fulchiron ◽

Nathalie Mathieu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Extensional Flow ◽

Novel Approach ◽

Induced Crystallization ◽

Flow Induced Crystallization

Download Full-text

Comparison of Experimental and Numerical Transient Drop Deformation during Transition through Orifices in High-Pressure Homogenizers

ChemEngineering ◽

10.3390/chemengineering5030032 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (3) ◽

pp. 32

Author(s):

Benedikt Mutsch ◽

Peter Walzel ◽

Christian J. Kähler

Keyword(s):

High Pressure ◽

Visual Analysis ◽

Imaging Technique ◽

Extensional Flow ◽

Droplet Breakup ◽

Experimental Results ◽

Drop Deformation ◽

Droplet Deformation ◽

Shadow Imaging ◽

Good Agreement

The droplet deformation in dispersing units of high-pressure homogenizers (HPH) is examined experimentally and numerically. Due to the small size of common homogenizer nozzles, the visual analysis of the transient droplet generation is usually not possible. Therefore, a scaled setup was used. The droplet deformation was determined quantitatively by using a shadow imaging technique. It is shown that the influence of transient stresses on the droplets caused by laminar extensional flow upstream the orifice is highly relevant for the droplet breakup behind the nozzle. Classical approaches based on an equilibrium assumption on the other side are not adequate to explain the observed droplet distributions. Based on the experimental results, a relationship from the literature with numerical simulations adopting different models are used to determine the transient droplet deformation during transition through orifices. It is shown that numerical and experimental results are in fairly good agreement at limited settings. It can be concluded that a scaled apparatus is well suited to estimate the transient droplet formation up to the outlet of the orifice.

Download Full-text

Shear-Induced Amyloid Aggregation in the Brain: V. Are Alzheimer’s and Other Amyloid Diseases Initiated in the Lower Brain and Brainstem by Cerebrospinal Fluid Flow Stresses?

Journal of Alzheimer s Disease ◽

10.3233/jad-201025 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-24

Author(s):

Conrad N. Trumbore

Keyword(s):

Cerebrospinal Fluid ◽

Conformational Changes ◽

Extensional Flow ◽

Amyloid Β ◽

High Energy ◽

Mechanical Agitation ◽

Cerebrospinal Fluid Flow ◽

Pulse Waves ◽

Amyloid Diseases ◽

The Brain

Amyloid-β (Aβ) and tau oligomers have been identified as neurotoxic agents responsible for causing Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Clinical trials using Aβ and tau as targets have failed, giving rise to calls for new research approaches to combat AD. This paper provides such an approach. Most basic AD research has involved quiescent Aβ and tau solutions. However, studies involving laminar and extensional flow of proteins have demonstrated that mechanical agitation of proteins induces or accelerates protein aggregation. Recent MRI brain studies have revealed high energy, chaotic motion of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in lower brain and brainstem regions. These and studies showing CSF flow within the brain have shown that there are two energetic hot spots. These are within the third and fourth brain ventricles and in the neighborhood of the circle of Willis blood vessel region. These two regions are also the same locations as those of the earliest Aβ and tau AD pathology. In this paper, it is proposed that cardiac systolic pulse waves that emanate from the major brain arteries in the lower brain and brainstem regions and whose pulse waves drive CSF flows within the brain are responsible for initiating AD and possibly other amyloid diseases. It is further proposed that the triggering of these diseases comes about because of the strengthening of systolic pulses due to major artery hardening that generates intense CSF extensional flow stress. Such stress provides the activation energy needed to induce conformational changes of both Aβ and tau within the lower brain and brainstem region, producing unique neurotoxic oligomer molecule conformations that induce AD.

Download Full-text