OBLITERATION

FLOW

OF

OF

MINERAL

CAPILLARY

CHANNELS

IN THE

OILS

N. N. K r a s i k o v

UDC 532.54

The flow of c o m m e r c i a l and purified vaseline oil (MVP) through capillary channels is studied
experimentally; data relating to the concentration of solid d i s p e r s e d p a r t i c l e s in the oils are
presented. The blocking of the c a p i l l a r i e s is determined by coagulation p r o c e s s e s which
intensify in a h y d r o d y n a m i c flow.
It was shown e a r l i e r [1] that, under certain c i r c u m s t a n c e s , in the absence of marked s t r u c t u r e formation, the flow of c o m m e r c i a l oils through capillary channels failed to obey the Poiseuille law; the
v o l u m e t r i c rate of flow gradually diminished and tended to z e r o . This phenomenon has been given the name
of "obliteration" [2] and has been studied in detail by a number of authors [3, 4]. The obliteration p r o c e s s
is determined by a number of p a r a m e t e r s : the theological p r o p e r t i e s of the oils, the existence of polar
molecules inclined toward micelle formation and adsorption on the interface with the solid material, the
concentration and dimensions of impurity p a r t i c l e s d i s p e r s e d in the oil, and so forth [5]. Despite the wide
v a r i e t y of f a c t o r s determining flow through n a r r o w channels, the sharp reduction in the flow of liquid must
be a s s o c i a t e d with the development of an o r d e r e d s t r u c t u r e of high m e c h a n i c a l strength in the capillaries
as a r e s u l t of p r o c e s s e s involving p a r t i c l e s of the d i s p e r s e d phase in the mineral oils. This paper is
concerned with the study of this problem.
Microscope and u l t r a m i c r o s c o p e examinations have shown that, in those c a s e s in which obliteration
o c c u r s , the oil contains a c o m p a r a t i v e l y large quantity of suspended p a r t i c l e s (Fig. 1). The number and
size of the d i s p e r s e d p a r t i c l e s p e r unit volume of oil are determined by a m i c r o s c o p e method in l i n e a r l y polarized light, using the method of [6]; quantitative e s t i m a t e s of the impurities in various oils are p r e sented in Table 1.
We m e a s u r e d the flow of liquid through c a p i l l a r i e s of r e g u l a r g e o m e t r i c a l f o r m using a standard
h y d r o s t a t i c p r e s s [7]. The a p e r t u r e s of the c a p i l l a r i e s were p r e p a r e d by the e l e c t r i c - s p a r k machining of
a b r a s s block, and also by drawing f r o m a glass tube. The cleanliness of the capillary before and after the
e x p e r i m e n t was checked under the m i c r o s c o p e . We principally studied oils of the MVP type, both in the
o r d i n a r y c o m m e r c i a l state and also when purified by silicagel and repeated filtration through finely porous
paper filters. In addition to this, we studied suspensions of graphite, q u a r t z , and aluminum in purified
oil. The concentration of the d i s p e r s e d phase was no g r e a t e r than 0.1 wt. % in any of the experiments. The
suspensions were p r e p a r e d by c r u s h i n g the m a t e r i a l s in a porcelain m o r t a r in the p r e s e n c e of the
TABLE 1. Concentration of Dispersed P a r t i c l e s of Various Sizes
in C o m m e r c i a l and Purified Oils
Particleconcentration, 1/cm3

Oil
Vaseline (MVP), commercial
Spindle (AU), commercial
Diesel (MT-16p), commercial, with
additive
Vaseline (MVP), purified

less thanI 2 5
2g ~
- /l
420000
160000

180000
120000

1500900
120000
65000
individual
panicles

5-10 ~

more than
" 10 #

12000
39000

9500
30000

9OOOO

19000

Building E n g i n e e r s ' Institute, Leningrad. T r a n s l a t e d f r o m I n z h e n e r n o - F i z i c h e s k i i Zhurnal, Vol. 20,

No. 2, pp. 210-214, F e b r u a r y , 1971. Original article submitted March 23, 1970.

9 1973 Consultants Bureau, a division of Plenum Publishing Corporation, 227 V/est i7th Street, New York,
N. Y. 10011. All rights reserved. This article cannot be reproduced for any purpose whatsoever without
permission of the publisher. A copy of this article is available from the publisher for $15.00.

145

-/

)i

3
2,

Fig. 1

)/

o - .~

/3

~l

"

'

2\_
.

A , , ~

"-

t2

/#

20 t

Fig. 2

Fig. 1. M i c r o s c o p e photograph of p a r t i c l e s in c o m m e r c i a l oil taken

with c r o s s e d p o l a r o i d s .
Fig. 2. Dependence of the v o l u m e t r i c (Q, cm3/min) flow of liquidon
the time of flow (t, rain) for v a r i o u s p r e s s u r e drops in a b r a s s c a p illary: 1,2) purified; 3)-5) c o m m e r c i a l oil; 6 ) w a t e r / o i l emulsion,
1.0 vol. %; 1), 3), 5), 6) 1.55 kg/cm2; 2), 4) 0.55 k g / c m 2.
d i s p e r s i o n m e d i u m , with subsequent dilution to the specified concentration. The quality of the d i s p e r s i o n
w a s checked under the m i c r o s c o p e and u l t r a m i c r o s c o p e ; p a r t i c l e s and a g g r e g a t e s with a d i a m e t e r of o v e r
10~ w e r e not allowed. An emulsion of distilled w a t e r in purified oil with a concentration of 1.0 vol. % w a s
p r e p a r e d by u l t r a s o n i c d i s p e r s i o n .
The e l e c t r o k i n e t i c potential w a s m e a s u r e d by the m o v i n g - b o u n d a r y method in a Cohn a p p a r a t u s with
platinum e l e c t r o d e s and f i l t r a t e s of the suspensions as auxiliary liquids. The value of the ~-potential w a s
close to z e r o .
F i g u r e 2 c h a r a c t e r i z e s the outflow of liquids through a m e t a l c a p i l l a r y of d i a m e t e r 105 ~ and length
1 m m . We see f r o m the curve that for purified oil (curves 1, 2) the v o l u m e t r i c flow is r e l a t i v e l y constant,
only changing within the l i m i t s of e x p e r i m e n t a l e r r o r o v e r a period of 20 min. The Q = f(t) c h a r a c t e r i s t i c
of c o m m e r c i a l oil (curves 3, 4) has three p a r t s : f i r s t one with a s l o w l y - v a r y i n g Q, then one with a s h a r p
fall in flow velocity, and then a third sloping p a r t i m m e d i a t e l y p r e c e d i n g the stoppage of the flow of liquid.
The shape of the curve and the time r e q u i r e d for the complete stoppage of the capillai:y l a r g e l y depend on
the external p r e s s u r e .
Analogous laws a r e o b s e r v e d in the flow of g r a p h i t e s u s p e n s i o n s of v a r i o u s concentrations, quartz,
and aluminum in purified oil (Fig. 3, c u r v e s 1-5) and also w a t e r - o i l e m u l s i o n (Fig. 2, curve 6). In a g l a s s
c a p i l l a r y 95~ in d i a m e t e r and 50.0 m m long, however, c o m m e r c i a l oil flows at a constant r a t e for 25 days
for a p r e s s u r e drop of 0.05 k g / c m 2.
As the d i s p e r s i o n s flow through the c a p i l l a r y , p a r t i c l e s a r e deposited on the w a l l s , chiefly at the ends
of the channel, and mainly on the side of the mouth (aperture) as indicated in Fig. 4; these reduce the
hydraulic conductivity of the s y s t e m . The thickness of the s t r u c t u r e d l a y e r on the inner surface of the
c a p i l l a r y i n c r e a s e s gradually, since the radius of the l a t t e r is m o r e than an o r d e r of magnitude g r e a t e r
than the d i m e n s i o n s of the d i s p e r s e d p a r t i c l e s .
Analysis of the v a r i o u s possible c a u s e s of obliteration leads to the conclusion that the change in the
r a t e of flow of d i s p e r s e d s y s t e m s through narrow channels is due to a l a r g e n u m b e r of p h y s i c o c h e m i c a l
and h y d r o d y n a m i c phenomena, ultimately amounting to the trapping of p a r t i c l e s on the w a l l s and t h e i r
subsequent coagulation. The specific c h a r a c t e r of the d i s p e r s i o n s with a t i m e - d e p e n d e n t flow r a t e is
p r i m a r i l y d e t e r m i n e d by the low r e s i s t a n c e of the p a r t i c l e s to adhesive f o r c e s , and secondly by the e x t r e m e l y low n u m e r i c a l concentration of the d i s p e r s e d phase. The combination of these f a c t o r s is one of
the main conditions governing the blocking of c a p i l l a r y channels.
When p r e s e n t in a c o m p a r a t i v e l y l a r g e volume, m i c r o s c o p i c objects m a y exist in the suspended state
for a long time. The position changes sharply if the s u s p e n s i o n s a r e flowing in a volume, one of the d i m e n sions of which is c o m p a r a b l e with the m e a n d i s p l a c e m e n t of the p a r t i c l e s in the t i m e t.

146

I~.~ ~
0

_ ~--~_~
4"

Fig. 3

Fig. 4

Fig. 3. Dependence of the v o l u m e t r i c (Q, cm3/min) flow of the

suspensions on the time of flow (t, rain) for a p r e s s u r e drop in
the b r a s s capillary of 1.55 kg/cm2: 1)-3) graphite with a concentration of 0.01, 0.005, 0.0005 wt.% respectively; 4) quartz
(0.0005 wt. %); 5) aluminum (0.0005 wt.% ) in purified oil.
Fig. 4. Microscope photograph of the mouth of a glass c a p illary after obliteration with c o m m e r c i a l oil MVP at 0p/0x
= 8.5.10 ~ N / m 3.
In the hydrodynamic flow of a Newtonian liquid, p a r t i c l e s moving at different distances f r o m the axis
of the channel have different forward velocities, and may rotate around their own c e n t e r s of inertia. It
has been shown [8] that neither of these f a c t o r s can produce any substantial interaction between spherical
objects in a l a m i n a r flow; n e a r the axis p a r t i c l e s may collide simply as a r e s u l t of their Brownian motion.
It was l a t e r concluded [9] when studying the behavior of d i s p e r s i o n s in a flow that collisions between
the p a r t i c l e s w e r e considerably intensified by turbulent diffusion appearing in the p r e s e n c e of a velocity
gradient in the boundary l a y e r . Still e a r l i e r [10] allowance was made for the effects of m o l e c u l a r diffusion
and the velocity gradient of the dispersion medium on the coagulation p r o c e s s :
dn

r30-~r }

_ 14kT

(1)

F o r a cylindrical channel we have [9]

Substitution of (2) into (1) gives

(5 -n +
Taking kT = 4.2 -10 -21 J, ~/ = 0.02 N . s e c / m 2, n
= 15.3.107N/m 3 we obtain
dn
ndt

---

= 1012

(3)
1 / m 3, r = 1.10-6 m, R = 5 -10 -5 m, and a p / 0 x

= (2.8.10 -7 +0.3.10 -1) 1/sec.

Thus coagulation associated with the velocity gradient in a boundary l a y e r is much g r e a t e r than that
associated with the Brownian motion of the p a r t i c l e s . With i n c r e a s i n g dp/dx the velocity gradient b e c o m e s
g r e a t e r , in a g r e e m e n t with the e a r l i e r - m e n t i o n e d i n c r e a s e in the intensity of obliteration with p r e s s u r e .
In addition to the collision and adhesion of the p a r t i c l e s , these may also become detached. Calculations

147

show that, in the flow of commercial oils and suspensions only a small part of the volume of the dispersed
phase is detained in the capillary channel (0.1-1.0 vol. %), forming a high-strength structure. The greater
blocking of the channels in the end regions is evidently associated with the rise in velocity gradient at these
points. The outflow is greatly stabilized (Fig. 2, curve 5) when the mouth of the capillary is enlarged to
125~ and given the form of a funnel.
The factor of i o n - e l e c t r o s t a t i c interaction does not apparently play any major part in the obliteration
of a channel when there is no electric field in the gap.
Obliteration during the flow of emulsions deserves special attention. This problem requires a detailed examination, but there is a certain opinion [11] to the effect that dispersed liquid particles behave in
the same way as solids.
Summarizing all the foregoing, we may say that, for a number of technological systems (hydraulic
drives and automatic equipment), existing methods of eliminating the obliteration of gaps [3, 4] should be
supplemented by a more reasonable choice of channel shape and also the careful removal of dispersed solid
and liquid impurities.

NOTATION
O
t
n

k
T
r
R

0u/0r
0p/~x

volumetric rate of flow;

time of flow;
number of particles in unit volume;
Boltzmann's constant;
absolute temperature
dynamic viscosity of the medium;
radius of the particle;
radius of the capillary;
velocity gradient in the direction of the radius;
p r es s ur e gradient in the capillary.
LITERATURE

1.
2.
3.

4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.

148

CITED

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