Fluids mechanics for new technologies An EU-funded project has brought together experts to build a deeper understanding of interfacial phenomena in multiphase complex fluid mechanics. Potential applications include the chemical, pharmaceutical and food industries. Industrial Technologies © Thinkstock Fluid mechanics is ubiquitous in the manufacturing of advanced materials. Understanding the flow phenomena occurring during processing of these materials will enable high-quality, faster and cheaper manufacture. In particular, the presence of interfaces between different phases and interactions between rigid and deformable substrates makes flows of simple and complex liquids unstable. The 'Multi-scale complex fluid flows and interfacial phenomena' (MULTIFLOW) Initial Training Network provided interdisciplinary research training for early stage and experienced researchers in the field over the course of four years. The consortium included 14 academic research groups, two small and medium-sized enterprises and five industrial partners. The MULTIFLOW network team developed models to describe interfacial phenomena on different time and length scales. When theoretical modelling was impossible or inaccurate, they conducted simple experiments to study complex flows relevant to nano-, meso- and macro-scale industrial applications. The findings of the research efforts were passed on to young researchers through the forum established by the network. Several summer schools, workshops and other events brought young and experienced researchers together to share knowledge and expertise. As a result of the collaborative work, a considerable amount of high profile work was produced, resulting in publication of over 300 papers. Industrial partners have also been involved at all stages of the MULTIFLOW project to help transfer research results into optimised industrial processes. The focus was on addressing fundamental questions with applications in coatings, cooling of electronic components, microfluidics, nanotechnologies and many others. The network has opened up avenues of enquiry for translation into a wide range of new technologies. Keywords Interfacial phenomena, fluid mechanics, polymer, composites, nanoparticles, model, experiment, coatings, electronic component, nanotechnology
