Oil-water interfaces play the key role in a wide range of scientific, technological, industrial, and chemical processes.  Despite their importance, the varied transient processes that occur at these interfaces have remained extremely challenging to study.  Motivated by several applications within this broader space, we have developed new tools to probe these dynamic processes, which we will discuss along with the insights they provide.  First, we have developed ferromagnetic microbuttons to probe the interfacial rheology of oil-water interfaces that develops as asphaltenes adsorb.  Such asphaltene layers are believed to stabilize oil/water interfaces, making water/oil emulsions difficult to break.  By directly visualizing asphaltene layers under stress, we find the mechanical properties of these interfaces to show substantial heterogeneity.  These heterogeneities appear to be common to evolving interfaces, and may provide opportunities for manipulation and control.  Second, we have developed a microfluidic interferometry method to measure concentration fields as they evolve in space and time.  In addition to measuring diffusion and partition coefficients, we use this technique to track interfacial polymerization reactions as they proceed, providing unprecedented insight into the kinetics of these reactions.

Dynamics of oil-water interfaces:  Adsorption, polymerization, and transport

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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