Abstract
The molecular mechanism for viscosity enhancement during the flow of poly(ethylene oxide) solutions through porous media has been investigated. Random packed beds of uniform-size spheres have been used as porous media. Experiments were conducted for one-dimensional (uniform) flow, as well as for a particular three-dimensional (nonuniform) flow situation. A substantial increase in flow resistance with respect to that exhibited by Newtonian fluids has been observed in both cases. The results obtained suggest that, under the conditions employed in the present work, the mechanism that causes the increased flow resistance is related to the formation of transient networks of polymer molecules in the flow field. The nonuniform flow results indicate that the presence of the polymer induces a change in the macroscopic flow distribution within the porous medium.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 63-85 |
| Number of pages | 23 |
| Journal | Journal of Non-Newtonian Fluid Mechanics |
| Volume | 49 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Sep 1993 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- entanglements
- nonuniform flow
- poly(ethylene oxide)
- polymer solutions
- porous media
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Chemical Engineering
- General Materials Science
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Mechanical Engineering
- Applied Mathematics