9308118 Elimelech This is an award to support research, the objective of which is to study the influence of interfacial hydrodynamics on deposition of particles in porous media. The investigator plans on conducting well-controlled particle deposition experiments to test theoretical predictions and to use these observations in delineation of the mechanisms under which fluid flow and interfacial forces affect collision efficiencies that have an influence on particle deposition in porous media. This is a renewal of research previously conducted under NSF Grant No. 90-09233. The results of this research are expected to provide a better understanding of the role that fluid flow characteristics play in the process by which particles are retained within porous media. The fundamental nature of this work is expected to have significance in engineering design of filtration processes used for water and wastewater treatment, chromatographic separation and other processes that involve particle-surface interaction phenomena.
