This thesis describes experimental studies of colloidal particles dispersed in solvents which themselves have phase transitions. One common definition of soft matter is: a material characterized by a mesoscopic length scale. This length scale is, for example, the colloid size or the ordered domain size. Here we combine a complex host with one characteristic length scale with dispersed particles that have a different size. It might be anticipated that new behaviour will occur. Two limits of particle characteristics are probed: the case of dilute sterically-stabilized particles and the case of a weak gel of attractive particles. The two systems are polymer particles dispersed in a phaseseparating microemulsion and silica nanoparticles dispersed in a low molecular weight liquid crystal. In each system a temperature driven phase transition plays a crucial role. In the microemulsion case we observe how transitional and pre-transitional phenomena create effective interactions between particles and how new behaviour emerges in the host solvent in the late stage of the phase separation. We show that the pre-transitional clustering of the PMMA particles is due to an adsorbed layer of dodecane. Subsequently heterogeneous nucleation of the gas phase is seen. After phase separation has occurred in off-critical samples the particles remain in either the continuous or dispersed phase depending on the original microemulsion composition. In the late stage of the phaseseparation the coalescence and coarsening behaviour changes significantly, after more material exchange between the phases has taken place. This behaviour is reminiscent of viscoelastic phase separation in polymer based samples. In the liquid crystal case we discover the anisotropy of the liquid crystal persists over large length scales and modifies the local dynamics of the gel. Using electron microscopy and scattering techniques we demonstrate that the silica embedded in the liquid crystal forms agglomerates with a fractal structure. Rheological characterization demonstrates that the resulting composite is a gel. Investigation of the composite’s local dynamics using x-ray photon correlation spectroscopy shows anisotropy and intermittency in the dynamics on significant length scales. In both systems we have studied new behaviour seen due to the influence of one component on the dynamic characteristics of the other The pre- and post- phase transition phenomena are only crucial in the microemulsion case where the particles have purely repulsive interactions. Our results illustrate the subtle balances that occur in soft composite systems.

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L’approximation dite « anélastique » permet de filtrer les ondes acoustiques grâce à un développement asymptotique deséquations de Navier-Stokes, réduisant ainsi le pas en temps moyen, lors de la simulation numérique du développement d’instabilités hydrodynamiques. Ainsi, les équations anélastiques sont établies pour un mélange de deux fluides pour l’instabilité de Rayleigh-Taylor. La stabilité linéaire de l’écoulement est étudiée pour la première fois pour des fluides parfaits, par la méthode des modes normaux, dans le cadre de l’approximation anélastique. Le problème de Stokes issu des équations de Navier-Stokes sans les termes non linéaires (une partie de la poussée d’Archiméde est prise en compte) est défini ; l’éllipticité est démontrée, l’étude des modes propres et l’invariance liée à la pression sont détaillés. La méthode d’Uzawa est étendue à l’anélastique en mettant en évidence le découplage des vitesses en 3D, le cas particulier k = 0 et les modes parasites de pression. Le passage au multidomaine a permis d’établir les conditions de raccord (raccord Co de la pression sans condition aux limites physiques). Les algorithmes et l’implantation dans le code AMENOPHIS sont validés par les comparaisons de l’opérateur d’Uzawa développé en Fortran et à l’aide de Mathematica. De plus des résultats numériques ont été comparés à une expérience avec des fluides incompressibles. Finalement, une étude des solutions numériques obtenues avec les options anélastique et compressible a été menée. L’étude de l’influence de la stratification initiale des deux fluides sur le développement de l’instabilité de Rayleigh-Taylor est amorcée. / The « anelastic » approximation allows us to filter the acoustic waves thanks to an asymptotic development of the Navier-Stokes equations, so increasing the averaged time step, during the numerical simulation of hydrodynamic instabilitiesdevelopment. So, the anelastic equations for a two fluid mixture in case of Rayleigh-Taylor instability are established.The linear stability of Rayleigh-Taylor flow is studied, for the first time, for perfect fluids in the anelastic approximation.We define the Stokes problem resulting from Navier-Stokes equations without the non linear terms (a part of the buoyancyis considered) ; the ellipticity is demonstrated, the eigenmodes and the invariance related to the pressure are detailed.The Uzawa’s method is extended to the anelastic approximation and shows the decoupling speeds in 3D, the particular casek = 0 and the spurius modes of pressure. Passing to multidomain allowed to establish the transmission conditions.The algorithms and the implementation in the existing program are validated by comparing the Uzawa’s operator inFortran and Mathematica langages, to an experiment with incompressible fluids and results from anelastic and compressiblenumerical simulations. The study of the influence of the initial stratification of both fluids on the development of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability is initiated.

[pt] Umas das etapas mais complexas e críticas durante a construção de poços de petróleo é o processo de cimentação primária, definido como: O processo de instalação de cimento no anular entre o revestimento e a formação exposta ao poço [1]. Ela fornece isolamento zonal permanente para evitar contaminação ou migração de fluidos indesejáveis no anular, protege o revestimento da ocorrência de corrosão e fornece estabilidade hidráulica e mecânica para o revestimento ao longo da vida produtiva do poço de petróleo. Neste processo, ainda na etapa de perfuração, irregularidades na seção transversal (washouts) podem ser geradas como resultado de diversos colapsos parciais da seção do poço aberto em decorrência da presença de rochas pouco consolidadas da formação. Uma operação de cimentação primária bem sucedida dependerá se o sistema de fluidos espaçadores e a pasta de cimento deslocam de forma adequada e completa o fluido de perfuração do anular e washouts. Motivados por esse problema industrial, a presente dissertação usa um simulador numérico DNS (Direct Numerical Simulation) com o objetivo de analisar sistematicamente o comportamento hidrodinâmico e calcular a eficiência do deslocamento entre dois fluidos newtonianos miscíveis através de um anular contendo uma expansão seguida de uma contração abrupta. Investigamos como diferentes viscosidades e densidades dos fluidos, um injetado e outro deslocado, a miscibilidade entre eles, a taxa de injeção e a dimensão do washout retangular afetam o escoamento bifásico. Consideramos uma geometria axissimétrica durante processos de deslocamentos verticais, e as equações governantes são resolvidas em coordenadas cilíndricas, permitindo investigar diferentes aberturas anulares. Devido à miscibilidade entre os fluidos, nossos resultados preveem eficiências de deslocamento altíssimas, próximas a 100 Fluidos não-newtonianos são usualmente utilizados durante o processo industrial de cimentação primária de poços de petróleo. Contudo, as altas eficiências de deslocamentos encontradas em nossos resultados motivam estudos futuros sobre a influência da miscibilidade em deslocamentos de fluidos complexos. Estes resultados também motivam o uso de fluidos espaçadores para tentar controlar as propriedades de interface. Desta forma, é possível que a utilização de sistemas que se aproximem das condições reológicas e hidrodinâmicas de deslocamento entre fluidos newtonianos miscíveis poderá contribuir para um aumento da eficiência de deslocamento e, consequentemente, otimizar o processo de deslocamento de sistemas de fluidos, tendo em vista melhorias na integridade da cimentação de poços de petróleo. / [en] One of the most complex and critical stages during the construction ofoil wells is the primary cementing process, defined as the process of installingcement in the annulus between the casing and the exposed formation to thewell [1]. Primary cementing provides permanent zonal isolation to preventcontamination or migration of unwanted fluids in the annulus, protects thecasing from corrosion, and provides hydraulic and mechanical stability forthe casing throughout the productive life of the oil well. In this process,during the drilling stage, irregularities in the cross-section (washouts) can begenerated because of various partial collapses of the open wellbore section dueto the presence of poorly consolidated rocks in the formation. A successfulprimary cementing operation will depend on whether the spacer fluid systemand cement slurry adequately and completely displace the drilling fluid fromthe annulus and washouts.Motivated by this industrial problem, the present dissertation uses aDirect Numerical Simulation (DNS) numerical simulator to systematically analyze the hydrodynamic behavior and calculate the displacement efficiency between two miscible newtonian fluids through an annulus containing an expansion followed by an abrupt contraction. We investigate how different viscositiesand densities of the injected and displaced fluids, their miscibility, injectionrate, and the dimension of the rectangular washout affect the two-phase flow.We consider an axisymmetric geometry during vertical displacement processes,and the governing equations are solved in cylindrical coordinates, allowing theinvestigation of different annular clearances. Due to the miscibility betweenthe fluids, our results predict very high displacement efficiencies, close to 100Non-newtonian fluids are commonly used during the industrial processof primary cementing of oil wells. However, the high displacement efficienciesfound in our results motivate further studies on the influence of miscibilityin displacements of complex fluids. These results also encourage the use ofspacer fluids attempting to control the interfacial properties. Therefore, the useof systems that approximate the rheological and hydrodynamic conditions ofdisplacement between miscible newtonian fluids may contribute to an increasein displacement efficiency and, consequently, optimize the displacement processof fluid systems, aiming at improvements in the integrity of well cementing.