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 Our
goal is to obtain a thorough understanding of the microscopic
factors that control the interactions of fluids with
nanostructured and porous substrates, and to determine their
sorption, wetting, and transport properties. We use modern
methods of molecular and computer simulation, supported by
experimental studies of adsorption and capillary phenomena,
to characterize thermodynamic, transport, and structural properties
of porous materials.
Areas
of Expertise
- Nanocapillarity
& Interactions of Fluids with Nanomaterials
- Wetting
and Fluid Flow in Porous Materials & Fiber Systems
- Thin
Liquid Films and Foams
- Micro-
and Nanofluidics of Polymer and Biological Fluids &
Solutions
Research
Overview
We develop experimental protocols and modeling tools to study
absorption, spreading, and wetting of simple and complex fluids,
including polymer solutions and biofluids, in and over fibrous
substrates of different origin. Examples of consumer products
that have been studied at TRI include diapers, household wipes,
feminine hygiene products, papers, woven &nonwoven fabrics,
and pens & markers.
Instrumentation
TRI scientists have developed a number of unique instruments
such as the TRI/MicroAbsorbMeter™,
which quantifies the absorbency of fibrous and porous materials
and assesses the uniformity of material permeability, the
TRI/Autoporosimeter™,
which provides accurate measurements of pore size distributions
of pore radii one to 1000 microns, and the TRI/Upkin™,
a unique computerized instrument that measures the kinetics
of rapid, transplanar liquid uptake with millisecond resolution,
that are used in our research and are available for purchase.
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