Multiscale Hybrid Mixture Theory (HMT) for Swelling Porous Media

Abstract

The behavior of fluids in contact with solid surfaces is central in many contexts, as, for example, those presented in the previous two chapters. If the fluid exists within a matrix of solids that deforms, the behavior of the fluid becomes immensely complex on the molecular scale (Chapters III, IV), and, as well, on higher scales. Good examples of such systems are soils, foods, proteins, and biological membranes and more generally any lyophilic colloid. Continuum-mixture scale processes occurring in these systems might include food drying, chromatography, gel electrophoresis, macromolecular folding, and soil consolidation. The motivation behind this chapter is the desire to understand, on continuum-mixture scales, the behavior of swelling and shrinking systems.