pp. 1-228 (April 2023)
pp. 1-200 (March 2023)
pp. 1-138 (February 2023)
pp. 1-144 (January 2023)
pp. 1-108 (December 2022)
pp. 1-106 (November 2022)
pp. 1-122 (October 2022)
pp. 1-124 (September 2022)
pp. 1-102 (August 2022)
pp. 1-112 (July 2022)
pp. 1-138 (June 2022)
pp. 1-186 (May 2022)
pp. 1-124 (April 2022)
pp. 1-104 (March 2022)
pp. 1-120 (February 2022)
pp. 1-124 (January 2022)
pp. 1-214 (June 2021)
pp. 1-90 (December 2021)
pp. 1-222 (April 2021)
pp. 1-324 (October 2021)
pp. 1-200 (February 2021)
pp. 1-222 (August 2021)
pp. 1-208 (December 2020)
pp. 1-112 (October 2020)
pp. 1-210 (August 2020)
pp. 1-204 (June 2020)
pp. 1-218 (April 2020)
pp. 1-182 (February 2020)
pp. 1-104 (December 2019)
pp. 1-116 (October 2019)
pp. 1-130 (August 2019)
pp. 1-224 (June 2019)
pp. 1-226 (April 2019)
pp. 1-216 (February 2019)
pp. 1-132 (December 2018)
pp. 1-182 (October 2018)
pp. 1-116 (August 2018)
pp. 1-228 (June 2018)
pp. 1-154 (April 2018)
pp. 1-198 (February 2018)
pp. 1-118 (December 2017)
pp. 1-162 (October 2017)
pp. 1-138 (August 2017)
pp. 1-190 (June 2017)
pp. 1-220 (April 2017)
pp. 1-164 (February 2017)
pp. 1-176 (December 2016)
pp. 1-138 (October 2016)
pp. 1-144 (August 2016)
pp. 1-122 (June 2016)
pp. 1-166 (April 2016)
pp. 1-222 (February 2016)
pp. 1-118 (December 2015)
pp. 1-194 (October 2015)
pp. 1-212 (August 2015)
pp. 1-150 (June 2015)
pp. 1-184 (April 2015)
pp. 1-200 (February 2015)
pp. 1-172 (December 2014)
pp. 1-230 (October 2014)
pp. 1-178 (August 2014)
pp. 1-138 (June 2014)
pp. 1-150 (April 2014)
pp. 1-122 (February 2014)
pp. 619-792 (December 2013)
pp. 475-618 (October 2013)
pp. 359-474 (August 2013)
pp. 249-358 (June 2013)
pp. 119-248 (April 2013)
pp. 1-118 (February 2013)
pp. 649-788 (December 2012)
pp. 523-647 (October 2012)
pp. 397-522 (August 2012)
pp. 255-396 (June 2012)
pp. 145-253 (April 2012)
pp. 1-143 (February 2012)
pp. 545-662 (December 2011)
pp. 451-544 (October 2011)
pp. 319-450 (August 2011)
pp. 193-317 (June 2011)
pp. 101-191 (April 2011)
pp. 1-99 (February 2011)
pp. 491-644 (December 2010)
pp. 399-489 (October 2010)
pp. 301-397 (August 2010)
pp. 187-299 (June 2010)
pp. 81-185 (April 2010)
pp. 1-80 (February 2010)
pp. 421-512 (December 2009)
pp. 337-419 (October 2009)
pp. 231-335 (August 2009)
pp. 161-229 (June 2009)
pp. 93-160 (April 2009)
pp. 1-91 (February 2009)
pp. 389-583 (December 2008)
pp. 289-388 (October 2008)
pp. 225-288 (August 2008)
pp. 131-222 (June 2008)
pp. 59-129 (April 2008)
pp. 1-58 (February 2008)
pp. 363-428 (December 2007)
pp. 305-361 (October 2007)
pp. 247-304 (August 2007)
pp. 193-246 (June 2007)
pp. 1-191 (April 2007)
pp. 259-361 (December 2006)
pp. 211-258 (October 2006)
pp. 103-210 (July 2006)
pp. 47-102 (April 2006)
pp. 1-46 (February 2006)
pp. 289-404 (December 2005)
pp. 243-288 (October 2005)
pp. 197-242 (August 2005)
pp. 151-196 (June 2005)
pp. 1-150 (April 2005)
pp. 235-280 (December 2004)
pp. 189-234 (October 2004)
pp. 139-188 (August 2004)
pp. 93-138 (June 2004)
pp. 47-92 (April 2004)
pp. 1-46 (February 2004)
pp. 231-276 (December 2003)
pp. 185-230 (October 2003)
pp. 139-183 (September 2003)
pp. 93-138 (July 2003)
pp. 47-92 (June 2003)
pp. 1-46 (April 2003)
Partic. vol. 23 pp. v-vi (December 2015) doi: 10.1016/S1674-2001(15)00196-0
Editorial
When particuology meets mesoscience
Prof. Jinghai Li
Particuology, the name of this journal, was coined by the late Prof. Mooson Kwauk to define the science of studying various particles and their systems, including behavior of a single particle, interaction between particles, and behavior of a particle system consisting of many particles with other media. Since particle is the existent form of almost all solid materials, and gas bubbles and liquid droplets are also “particles” in a general sense, particuology represents quite a common knowledge for different engineering fields, therefore, is of special importance with transdisciplinary nature.
All disciplines follow a common practice that all problems to be studied are analyzed in the name of “system” which consists of many “elements”. These elements are usually simplified into “particles”, such as molecule particle, material particle, rock particle, and even beyond. Although these “particles” are different in size, shape, composition and property, studies on them are quite similar and commonly involve formation of a particle and its properties, interaction between particles, and the collective behavior of particles and their dependence on environment. In this regard, particuology is also quite a broad field.
The complexity of the real-world is embodied in the hierarchical natures of multilevels, each of the levels is multiscaled, consisting of element scale, system scale and the mesoscale in between element and system. Mesoscience is another transdisciplinary concept of science emerging recently to study all mesoscale phenomena, existing in between “element” (or small) scales and “system” (or large) scales at different levels, spanning elementary particles and the observable universe. It is to be devoted to exploring the universality of all mesoscales with the principle of compromise in competition between different dominant mechanisms governing a system, which was considered missing from the current knowledge base and leading to challenges in understanding complex systems. More details about this concept can be found in the joint virtual special issue entitled Towards Engineering Mesoscience, by the three journals of Chemical Engineering Science, Powder Technology and Particuology in 2013 (http://www.journals.elsevier.com/particuology/virtual-special-issue/engineering-mesoscience/).
Therefore, particuology and mesoscience, as two transdisciplinary sciences, are closely related to each other. Mesoscience is devoted to attacking the most critical issues at mesoscales in all fields including particuology, while particuology focuses on concrete problems in particle systems, and will contribute disciplinary evidences to mesoscience for deriving the universality of different mesoscale phenomena. Thus, mesoscience will facilitate the development of particuology.
Currently, like many other fields, particuology has accumulated much knowledge at the scale of single particles and the global behavior of a system scale. However, we know little at the mesoscale in between the particle scale and the system scale, where particles show collective and dynamic behaviors, resulting in heterogeneous structures both in time and in space, that is, the so-called complexity, which is exactly the topic for mesoscience. In the viewpoint of mesoscience, future particuology should shift much attention to the following aspects:
Particle design: In addition to chemical compositions, particle size, shape and surface are also critical to its properties and functions since these aspects influence not only its internal functions such as electron behavior but also external functions such as interaction with outsides. Understanding of the mechanisms of these influences is typically a mesoscale problem, challenging chemists and material scientists, and should be resolved jointly with particuologists.
Rational synthesis: In addition to chemistry knowledge, understanding of the compromise in competition between reaction and component transport in material synthesis processes is critical. At present, molecular self-assembly is related to this problem, unfortunately, the involvement of chemical engineering is not sufficient. Research in this aspect paid much attention to reaction kinetics even at molecular scale, but less to transport phenomena. That is, most of structures are currently studied with the assumption that the molecules of reactants are there where they are needed for combining with each others. This is obviously not right.
Smart production: Synthesis of a “structure” in chemistry is much easier than production of a material “product”. Currently, chemists and material scientists synthesize many structures day by day, but few of which can be massively produced as products. How can we solve this problem? Realization of specific conditions for products in a reactor is the key, which is directly subject to collective behavior of particles, showing dynamic heterogeneous changes in the reactor, which influence the transport processes, and hence, reaction. This is again another mesoscale problem at a higher level than that of molecular assembly.
Computer simulation: Conventional approaches might not be sufficient to solve the above three problems. Computation will be a powerful tool in realizing the so-called virtual process engineering of materials so that these problems can be studied with graphical simulation by generating the virtual reality of the whole process, opening a new paradigm for the research of particuology.
With the development of computational science and increasing knowledge at different levels involved, we will be able to attack the long-term challenging issues in particuology. The emerging mesoscience will accelerate this progress. This is something currently deserving special attention in particuology.
This editorial is in memory of the late Prof. Mooson Kwauk who founded the journal and served as the editor-in-chief for ten years until his passing away on November 20, 2012.