From successive deposition to clogging of poly(styrene) particles in the cross-flow through a T-shaped microchannel

Abstract

Predicting and mitigating pore clogging are complex and challenging problems in fluid transport and filtration systems. This paper investigates the mechanism of particle deposition and pore clogging in a T-shaped microchannel under cross-flow conditions, using polystyrene particles dispersed in the glycerol solution. In this study, the flow rate and glycerol concentration are systematically controlled to analyze the effect of hydrodynamic stress on the clogging mechanism. Through flow visualization and image processing, the study identifies the step-by-step process of particle deposition and accumulation including the phenomena like “edge deposition”, “growth of deposition”, “rolling”, and “agglomerate breakup”. This study suggests that there is a critical stress that inhibits particle deposition and prevents pore clogging, and this stress is determined by the balance between the hydrodynamic force and the colloidal interaction force. The study also quantifies the clogging with the “blockage ratio” and “deposition ratio”, and shows that the stress correlates with the number of particles required for clogging. The methodology and findings of this study can aid in designing flow operating conditions to control particle deposition and clogging in various filtration systems and can serve as a critical first step toward understanding the behavior of particles in complex fluids with viscoelastic properties.