We performed ground-based experiments on the sample polystyrene-toluene-cyclohexane in order to complement the experimental activities in microgravity conditions related to the ESA projects DCMIX4 and Giant Fluctuations. After applying a stabilizing thermal gradient by heating from above a layer of the fluid mixture, we studied over many hours the density variations in the bidimensional horizontal field by means of a Shadowgraph optical setup. The resulting images evidence the appearance of convective instability after a diffusive time associated with the binary molecular solvent consisting of toluene and cyclohexane, confirming the negative sign of the Soret coefficient of this mixture. After a larger diffusive time related to mass diffusion of the polystyrene in the binary solvent, convection was suppressed by the increasing stabilizing density gradient originated by the Soret-induced concentration gradient of the polymer. This is compatible with a positive sign of the Soret coefficient of the polymer in the binary solvent.

Stabilized convection in a ternary mixture with two Soret coefficients of opposite sign / L. García-Fernández, H. Bataller, P. Fruton, C. Giraudet, A. Vailati, F. Croccolo. - In: THE EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL. E, SOFT MATTER. - ISSN 1292-8941. - 45:6(2022), pp. 1-7. [10.1140/epje/s10189-022-00202-5]

Stabilized convection in a ternary mixture with two Soret coefficients of opposite sign

A. Vailati
Penultimo
;
2022

Abstract

We performed ground-based experiments on the sample polystyrene-toluene-cyclohexane in order to complement the experimental activities in microgravity conditions related to the ESA projects DCMIX4 and Giant Fluctuations. After applying a stabilizing thermal gradient by heating from above a layer of the fluid mixture, we studied over many hours the density variations in the bidimensional horizontal field by means of a Shadowgraph optical setup. The resulting images evidence the appearance of convective instability after a diffusive time associated with the binary molecular solvent consisting of toluene and cyclohexane, confirming the negative sign of the Soret coefficient of this mixture. After a larger diffusive time related to mass diffusion of the polystyrene in the binary solvent, convection was suppressed by the increasing stabilizing density gradient originated by the Soret-induced concentration gradient of the polymer. This is compatible with a positive sign of the Soret coefficient of the polymer in the binary solvent.
Cyclohexanes; Polymers; Solvents; Toluene; Convection; Polystyrenes
Settore FIS/03 - Fisica della Materia
2022
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2434/939494
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