Mixing Controlled Adsorption at the Liquid-Solid Interfaces in Unsaturated Porous Media.

ABSTRACT: The unsaturated zone, located between the soil surface and the phreatic level, plays an important role in defining the fate of any substance entering the subsoil. In addition to the processes of flow and transport taking place in the liquid phase, surface reactions such as adsorption to the solid phase may occur and increase the residence time of the substance entering the system. In this study, we aim to understand the pore-scale mechanisms that control adsorption in unsaturated systems. We combine 2D pore-scale experimental images with numerical simulations to analyze flow, transport, and adsorption under different liquid saturation degrees. We demonstrate the role of mixing on adsorption at the liquid-solid interfaces by analyzing the deformation in time of a pulse-injected surfactant.

SUBMITTER: Markale I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9849304 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature