Department Seminar Series - Sepideh Razavi, PhD

Presence of complex solutions composed of fluids, ions, surfactant molecules, and colloidal particles is commonplace in problems relevant to the water-energy domain. Such multicomponent fluidic systems are often confined by interfaces in processes associated with the water-energy nexus as well, for example, in membrane separations and subsurface energy recovery and storage. To make matters more intricate, fluid interfaces are often not static in these processes and are constantly subject to external disturbances. Given the environmental and economic impact of the subject matter, it is important to advance our understanding in complex interfacial systems composed of multi-component fluids and their response to applied stresses in order to reliably predict and control their behavior in relevant applications. In this talk, I will review our findings on how particle attributes such as wettability and surface anisotropy influence the stability and rheology of fluid interfaces. I will discuss the impact of particle surface properties on the interfacial microstructure and flow behavior, and their connection to the performance in resulting Pickering foams. Building on this information, I will present our research in understanding the dynamics of complex interfacial systems comprised of colloidal particles and surfactant molecules under an applied stress, especially in elucidating the rich physical mechanisms that affect their synergism at interfaces.  

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