An experimental study of the kinetics of particle deposition in a wall-jetcell using total internal reflection microscopy

The deposition of polystyrene latex particles of 0.46 mum diameter was stud ied in situ using a wall-jet cell in combination with total internal reflec tion microscopy. The particles were deposited onto an indium tin oxide surf ace in a laminar flow field for up to 13 h. The initial particle Bur was fo und to be mass-transfer-controlled. It was shown that one period of the tim e-dependent deposition rate period was of first-order nature. The effective particle transfer coefficient during this period appeared to be correlated inversely to the wall shear rate. With the help of three characteristic em pirical constants, one of them being a mass transfer coefficient, the overa ll deposition process was described by a model equation. The concentration dependency was elucidated using a Langmuir-type pseudoisotherm. (C) 2000 Ac ademic Press.