Complex Fluids and Polymers Sample Paper.
Chemical engineering, as a field, has come a long way since the initial efforts were made
to understand chemical systems as a whole. In some part, the field has witnessed continued
growth as researchers seek to understand human body system and composition of various
matters. Complex Fluids and Polymers Sample Paper. More so, the last half- century or so has seen chemical engineers contribute to different biomedical endeavors. Not only have they helped modernize disease diagnosis but also
accelerated treatment options. Such measures have undoubtedly led to healthier and more
productive lives thus improving the general standards of living. Throughout the 1960s, chemical
engineering was largely involved in the study of rheologic issues as well as mass transport
phenomena – for instance, to establish diffusion rates via biomembranes and others- in relation
to artificial organs including lung oxygenation units and others. It meant that a large number of
chemical engineers got involved in solving rather complex flow problems. Complex Fluids and Polymers Sample Paper. In sum, this signaled the beginning of extensive study in the field of complex fluids as well as polymers.
This article seeks to describe and illustrate the role of chemical engineers in the field of complex
fluids including polymers. In accomplishing this, fields under this area will be explored. Complex Fluids and Polymers Sample Paper.
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Main Complex fluids, including polymer solutions and particulate suspensions form a wide
variety of liquids whose dynamical and mechanical properties ought to be described on several
length scales. The past decade or so has witnessed much attention in the area of biological flow phenomena with regard to such complex fluids as peristaltic pumping. It has been quite fruitful
to take in various systems (for instance bacterial baths) as complex fluids when explaining them
as the macroscopic level. Complex Fluids and Polymers Sample Paper. Nonetheless, a challenging issue that emerges when exemplifying the
transport properties involves capturing the associations between the fluids and the suspended
microstructures – including polymer coils, active particles and colloidal particles. This is crucial
particularly because it is these mixtures that contribute to quite complex, dynamical structures as
well as large-scale flow related with mixing or improved swimming efficiency. Mostly,
numerical simulations applied by chemical engineers are as tricky as model development
because complex fluids can have several degrees of freedom. Generally, the field of complex
fluids provides many fascinating flow phenomena as well as significant applications including
microscopic to macroscopic unsteadiness, and the application of viscoelastic non-linearities to
carry out logical operations within microfluidic chips (Waigh 685–742). Of great interest here
involves transport phenomena in complex fluids and active suspensions. This includes mixing
and swimming of single organisms as well as collectively.
Rheology and microrheology
Rheology relates to the science that researches the deformation as well as deformation of
matter. Complex Fluids and Polymers Sample Paper. Though relatively young, rheology is a multi-disciplinary science encompassing such
varying industrial fields of activity as ceramics, plastics, pharmaceutics, cosmetics, food and
biotechnology, surfactants, paints and others. Indeed, it is quite easy to list areas where the
deformation and or the flow of matter – which relies on the rheological features of the material
involved- determines the performance of products, the efficiency of a service and the speed of a
manufacturing process. Altogether, the uses of rheology in areas of materials engineering are
almost endless. Microrheology has its roots in the observation of pollen grains including the fact that these particles move incessantly on water’s surface. From the face of it, such a phenomena
seems abnormal because one would question the force behind the motion. As we know, A.
Einstein analyzed this behavior by establishing the molecular nature of matter through explaining
past research in terms of a statistical experiment of the collisions of particles with the
surrounding solvent molecules. In modern times, the idea for microrheology as an emerging
analytical method for complex fluids is quite strong. A number of advantages associated with
microrheological techniques are presented. Complex Fluids and Polymers Sample Paper. First advantage is combinatorial chemistry in which
microrheology permits the swift categorization of microlitre quantities of materials, facilitating
detailed stage diagrams to be rapidly developed (Amis and Schubert 19-22). An order of scale
raise in throughput had been displayed with particle trailing of viscoelastic peptides in
comparison to past rheology measurements. Altogether, chemical engineers are presented with
an ideal technique for probing transformations of reactions throughout the synthesis of new
viscoelastic materials. Secondly, there is an advantage as far as length scale is concerned.
Microrheological techniques mean that the viscoelasticity can be illustrated as a function of
length scale in the sample. Worth noting is that complex fluids characteristically exhibit
hierarchical structure on a succession of separate length scales as well as measurements at each
scale. This enables a complete depiction of their viscoelasticity to be made. Altogether, such
techniques as particle tracking video-microscopy allow chemical engineers to quantify the
viscoelasticity as it changes from one point to the next.
Nonetheless, as witnessed above, rheology revolves around the research on
viscoelasticity of different materials. Micro-rheology extends such a definition to include the
manner in which the dynamic behavior of the materials alters with length scale. Worth noting is
that the separation of materials into structure or component is time and again artificial and morphologies frequently exists at a variety of length scales within complex fluids. Therefore, a
rich variety of theoretical as well as experimental dimensions is presented to the potential
microrheologist. In general, microrheology is all about the phenomena associated with the
storage in addition to indulgence of mechanical energy within soft materials at the micro-metre
level. A technical hurdle encountered by chemical engineers for optical techniques of mechanical
spectroscopy is characteristically found at this level. Basically, microrheology has been
associated with a resolution threshold of an optical microscope working at its largest level of
magnification, and optical methods continue dominating the field. Research on complex fluids is
closely associated with such conventional fields as fluid mechanics and condensed matter. This
is because complex fluids including polymers and other biological materials are expected to
portray behavior midway between solids –completely elastic – and fluids –completely viscous. It
follows that chemical engineers require accurate techniques to quantify the phenomena with
regard to their viscoelasticity. Complex Fluids and Polymers Sample Paper.
Polymers
Polymers constitute of macromolecules or large molecules containing up to a few
thousands of repeated monomers or chemical units that are joined together. Resultantly, a
monomer contains typically between five and five-hundred atoms. Such common terms as
elastomers, plastics, paints, coatings, adhesives and fibers relate polymer materials displaying
quite distinct behavior. nevertheless, hundreds of dissimilar polymers and as a group of
materials, they have several features making them suitable for various applications including
lighter products such as mobile phones and others. Nonetheless, the melt viscosity of most
polymers frequently ranges between 10 2 -10 4 Pa.s (Anderson 88). Flow within channels at large
rates that can hit approximately 10 3 can create important pressure fluctuates. Such a characteristic brings about significant practical consequences and chemical engineers are
necessitated to navigate their way. For instance, high viscosities enhance viscous dissipation. Complex Fluids and Polymers Sample Paper. For
instance, in extrusion the input to material heating of dissipated heat is quite higher compared to
that of heat transfer. A practical rule emerges meaning that such temperature increase is relative
to the result of the viscosity through the shear rate squared. In addition, flow in a moderately
short as well as simple channel can readily produce significant temperature rises. As a term,
extrusion relates to a variety of processes for thermoplastics. It is widely used to generate
continuous shapes.
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A number of processes based on this process include profile extension, blow
moulding as well as fibre spinning. A common technique for fabricating thermoplastic polymers
is compression moulding in which a two-piece mould is used to provide a cavity with the shape
of the desired product (Mais et al 7-22). Initially, the mould is placed under heat matching the
processing temperature. Consequently, an appropriate quantity of the polymer granules is placed
into the lower part of the cavity. These parts are then closed under pressure. Complex Fluids and Polymers Sample Paper. As a result, the polymer is softened as well as welded into an incessant mass with cavity’s shape. Altogether,
such a process evidences that polymer processing involves shaping and that polymer material for
various processes has to be in a molten form and transferred for shaping to happen. Thus, the
research on polymer melt and deformation is quite essential towards comprehending polymer
processing. Rheological research can be used on production equipment design and therefore help
to approximate output-pressure-power associations (Fredrickson 17-25). In addition, flow studies
of a specific polymer can be utilized to appraise its processability. Significantly, the degree of
flow anomalies as well as elastic effects witnessed throughout processing can be quantitatively
and qualitatively associated with shear settings found within the production equipment. One
example of flow irregularity in polymer melts involves the bulge of extrudate upon leaving a die. Complex Fluids and Polymers Sample Paper. Altogether, creating fine aspects into the chemical organization of a macromolecule can
change the characteristics of the materials through more than the introduction of a dissimilar set
of covalent bonds. Worth noting is that many of the characteristics of polymer materials are
decided largely through the topology –chainlike character – of the molecules as well as via their
mutual associations on the length scale of the whole macromolecule – rather than via local
covalent bonds. This aspect has been branded the supramolecular configuration of polymer
materials. Complex Fluids and Polymers Sample Paper.However, this does not do away with the synthetic chemistry as a crucial determinant of the characteristics. Rather, it provides the synthetic chemical engineer the window to develop
into the molecule components that will manage the supramolecular composition. An emerging
belief is to produce chemically the needed supramolecular structure – rather than use the more
traditional mechanism of utilizing processing settings on pre-formed polymers to influence the
ultimate structure. Complex Fluids and Polymers Sample Paper.
In conclusion, research on complex fluids including polymers will likely advance in
future as humans study the composition of substances. People are always looking to enhance
their lives and chemical engineers will surely have a vital role to play in ensuring that such
dreams are realized. For instance, products made from polymers are all around us and complex
fluid engineering is at the center of product design as well as processing in industries such as
food, bio-materials and many others. Complex Fluids and Polymers Sample Paper.
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Work cited
Waigh, Titus. Microrheology of complex fluids. Institute of Physics Publishing. Rep. Prog. Phys.
68 (2005) 685–742.
Amis, Elizabeth and Schubert, U. Combinatorial and high-throughput approaches in polymer and
materials science:hype or real paradigm shift? Macromol. Rapid Commun, 2004. 25, 19
Mais, Joao et al. Rheology in material engineering. Rheology, Vol II, Encyclopedia of Life
Support Systems (EOLSS), 7-22. Complex Fluids and Polymers Sample Paper.
Anderson, John. Advances in chemical engineering, volume 16. USA: Academic Press, 1991.
Print.
Fredrickson, Glenn. Field-theoritic computer simulation methods for polymers and complex
fluids. Macromolecules Vol. 35, no 1. Complex Fluids and Polymers Sample Paper.