Evaporation and deposition in porous media

In this work, we consider a porous material that is filled with a liquid solution containing molecules from multiple species with known starting concentrations. As the solvent evaporates, molecules from these species are left behind and deposited on the internal pore walls within the porous material. We seek to (i) examine the dependence of the mass distribution of molecules along the pore walls and the drying rate/time on the pore diameter, pore length, fluid wetting properties, and evaporation conditions; (ii) develop a model a porous structure that has a distribution of pore sizes and in which. fluid moves due to capillary force; and (iii) understand how the mass distribution of molecules change upon cycles of wetting and drying.

Duke Scholars

Author Thomas P. Witelski Mathematics