The bulk stress in a suspension of spherical particles of condensed phase in its slightly rarefied vapour gas

Abstract

The rheological behaviour of a dilute suspension of spherical particles of condensed phase dispersed in its own slightly rarefied vapour gas is investigated on the basis of suspension theory (Batchelor 1970) and generalized slip-flow theory for a two-phase system of a gas and its condensed phase derived from the Boltzmann equation. The rarefaction of the gas and the phase-change process at the interfaces of the particles have the effect of reducing the Einstein coefficient of ϕ, volume fraction, in the expression for the effective viscosity in the suspension. In the case in which the pure rarefaction effect alone enters the problem, the coefficient is $\frac{5}{2}(1-2.702\,K)$ , where K is the Knudsen number, a rarefaction parameter defined by K = l / L , l and L being respectively the mean free path of gas molecules and the radius of a spherical particle. When both the rarefaction and the phase-change process are taken into account, this becomes $\frac{5}{2} (1-3.533\,K)$ . These modifications are not small, even at ordinary pressures, when the size of the particles is of the order of microns.