title: Mechanical flocculation in flowing fiber suspensions
abstract: Non-Brownian fibers commonly flocculate in flowing suspensions. A particle level simulation technique modeling fibers as chains of rods connected by hinges is developed to probe flocculation. Simulations show that flocculation can be induced solely by interfiber friction-attractive forces between fibers are not necessary. Simulated mechanical floc characteristics are consistent with experimental observations. In contrast, simulations of flocs formed by attractive forces behave qualitatively differently.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering and Rheology Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA.
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Schmid
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Klingenberg