Understanding Microstructure Deformation of Particle Laden Interfaces Using Stokesian Dynamics Simulations

In this work, a 2D Stokesian dynamics simulation methodology is presented, which utilizes models that accurately capture interfacial physics in particle laden interfaces. This methodology is robust enough to allow the study of a wide range of particle types, inter-particle interactions and surface flows. Our methodology is used to characterize the behavior of particle laden interfaces composed of repulsively dominated particles with a surface Couette flow. Additionally, the structure and kinetics of the aggregation of rigid colloidal particles at quiescent air/oil-water interfaces and under shear flows are studied through this simulation methodology. Starting from various initial configurations, structural characteristics and kinetics of aggregation are examined at dilute surface coverages when lateral capillary interactions are much stronger than electrostatic dipole-dipole forces. The simulation methodology developed in this work has shown promising capabilities to capture microstructural deformations of colloids under external shear flow and the results match well with experimental results in literature. The outcomes of this study show that this simplified simulation methodology can be used as a basic model to simulate shear flow effects on laden interfacial particles and structural deformation at fluid-fluid interfaces. Future line of this study can be focused on utilizing this introduced simulation methodology to investigate impacts of various steady and oscillatory underlying flows on different colloidal structures, such as crystalline particle interfacial microstructures and particle aggregations, at fluid-fluid interfaces.

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