Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
158390 | Chemical Engineering Science | 2008 | 4 Pages |
Abstract
Electrochemical mass transfer experiments are performed in a channel in which one wall is made of a soft polymer gel. Mass transfer is enhanced up to 25% relative to rigid walls when the ratio of viscous to elastic forces on the gel increases above a critical value. The enhancement is attributed to a hydrodynamic instability occurring at the fluid–gel interface. The results suggest that soft elastic boundaries could serve as a mechanism for improving mixing and transport in the laminar flows characteristic of microfluidic devices and other small-scale geometries.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Chemical Engineering
Chemical Engineering (General)
Authors
Abhishek Shrivastava, Edward L. Cussler, Satish Kumar,