Interfacial Marangoni flows during non-solvent induced phase separation of a ternary polymer solution

ORAL

Abstract

Non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) processes are widely used by industry and by Nature as a means of controlling the microstructure of polymer materials. While the general principles of the NIPS process are well-known, a detailed quantitative description has proven difficult, in part due to a lack of robust theories and quantitative models. We recently addressed this need by developing a multi-fluid model of the NIPS process that combines continuum fluid mechanics with a field-theoretic description of polymer thermodynamics. Using our model, we show that non-solvent transport during the initiation of NIPS can lead to strong interfacial Marangoni flows. We will discuss the conditions necessary to achieve these flows, as well as the implications they have on the evolution of the microstructure of materials such as polymer membranes.

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Presenters

  • Douglas Tree

    • Chemical Engineering, Brigham Young University
    • Brigham Young University

Authors

  • Douglas Tree

    • Chemical Engineering, Brigham Young University
    • Brigham Young University

  • Kris Delaney

    • Univ of California - Santa Barbara
    • UC Santa Barbara
    • Materials Research Laboratory, Univ of California - Santa Barbara
    • Materials Research Laboratory, University of California
    • University of California - Santa Barbara
    • Materials Research Laboratory and Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials, University of California, Santa Barbara

  • Glenn Fredrickson

    • Univ of California - Santa Barbara
    • UC Santa Barbara
    • Materials Research Laboratory, UC Santa Barbara
    • Chemical Engineering, Univ of California - Santa Barbara
    • Chemical Engineering, Materials, and Materials Research Laboratory, University of California
    • University of California - Santa Barbara
    • Materials Research Laboratory and Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials, University of California, Santa Barbara