IEM Distinguished Lecturers Seminar: Efficient processing of high interface soft materials
***Coffee and cookies will be served at 13:00 in the hall of BM 5202***
Abstract
Generating interfaces in materials (emulsions, foams, polymers) can be used to impart a myriad of functional properties, but thermodynamics will, for once, not be your friend. Often high intensity flows are needed to generate sufficiently fine structures.
Here I will discuss processing schemes that use laminar flow to direct the organization of multiphase structures or concentration gradients across samples. Inspired by techniques used to structure polymeric melts, we design custom millifluidic devices, which we call advective assemblers, that force disparate streams through serpentine splitting, rotation, and recombination elements. Advective assembly shifts the focus from traditional thermodynamic constraints to rheological constraints, enabling new possibilities in material design. It has practical applications in enhancing 3D printing technologies, allowing for the production of structured, multi-material filaments that overcome common challenges like throughput limitations and interlayer adhesion. Additionally, the method improves the efficiency of product formulation processes through its continuous operation and scalability. It can even be used for efficient emulsification of disparate materials or replacement meat analogues.
Short biography
I studied Chemical Engineering at KU Leuven in Belgium, where I earned my doctoral degree in 1996 under the supervision of Prof. Jan Mewis. Following this, I worked as a postdoctoral fellow at Elf Aquitaine and the Fund for Scientific Research – Vlaanderen, conducting research at Stanford University, CNRS labs in Sophia Antipolis, Bordeaux, and the University of Delaware, before returning to Leuven. In 2000, I joined the faculty of the Department of Chemical Engineering at KU Leuven, becoming a full professor in 2005. In 2014, I moved to the Materials Department at ETH Zürich, where I currently head the Laboratory of Soft Materials and serve as Vice Rector for Curriculum Development. My group and I have received awards for our research, including the Lars Onsager Medal and Professorship (NTNU, Norway), the Weissenberg Award from the European Society of Rheology, the ECIS Colloid & Interface Science Award, and the Bingham Medal from the Society of Rheology (USA). My research at ETH Zürich focuses on the rheology and applications of complex fluid-fluid interfaces, colloidal suspensions, and the development of novel experimental methods for soft matter applications in materials science.
Abstract
Generating interfaces in materials (emulsions, foams, polymers) can be used to impart a myriad of functional properties, but thermodynamics will, for once, not be your friend. Often high intensity flows are needed to generate sufficiently fine structures.
Here I will discuss processing schemes that use laminar flow to direct the organization of multiphase structures or concentration gradients across samples. Inspired by techniques used to structure polymeric melts, we design custom millifluidic devices, which we call advective assemblers, that force disparate streams through serpentine splitting, rotation, and recombination elements. Advective assembly shifts the focus from traditional thermodynamic constraints to rheological constraints, enabling new possibilities in material design. It has practical applications in enhancing 3D printing technologies, allowing for the production of structured, multi-material filaments that overcome common challenges like throughput limitations and interlayer adhesion. Additionally, the method improves the efficiency of product formulation processes through its continuous operation and scalability. It can even be used for efficient emulsification of disparate materials or replacement meat analogues.
Short biography
I studied Chemical Engineering at KU Leuven in Belgium, where I earned my doctoral degree in 1996 under the supervision of Prof. Jan Mewis. Following this, I worked as a postdoctoral fellow at Elf Aquitaine and the Fund for Scientific Research – Vlaanderen, conducting research at Stanford University, CNRS labs in Sophia Antipolis, Bordeaux, and the University of Delaware, before returning to Leuven. In 2000, I joined the faculty of the Department of Chemical Engineering at KU Leuven, becoming a full professor in 2005. In 2014, I moved to the Materials Department at ETH Zürich, where I currently head the Laboratory of Soft Materials and serve as Vice Rector for Curriculum Development. My group and I have received awards for our research, including the Lars Onsager Medal and Professorship (NTNU, Norway), the Weissenberg Award from the European Society of Rheology, the ECIS Colloid & Interface Science Award, and the Bingham Medal from the Society of Rheology (USA). My research at ETH Zürich focuses on the rheology and applications of complex fluid-fluid interfaces, colloidal suspensions, and the development of novel experimental methods for soft matter applications in materials science.
Practical information
- General public
- Free