TRANSPORT PHENOMENA IN MODERATELY CONCENTRATED SUSPENSIONS OF RIGID SPHERES

We consider suspensions of rigid particles under flow conditions such that the fluid and particle velocity fluctuations can be neglected. We analyzed the dynamic behaviour of such suspensions from a macroscopic point of view, with the help of irreversible thermodynamics. We pay special attention to the differences that exist between transport phenomena in suspensions and those in a classical binary mixture. Our analysis reveals the existence of a coupling between barycentric and relative motions. This coupling involves both inertial and viscous forces. When inertia and concentration diffusion are neglected, we get a set of equations somewhat similar to the one recently suggested by Noziéres. © 1990.