Dispersion of Branched Polymers in Expansion–Contraction Microchannels

We simulate flow-induced dispersion in solutions of linear, star, and comb polymers within expansion–contraction microchannels using mesoscale simulations. We first verify that our simulation method (multiparticle collision dynamics) produces the correct flow for a Newtonian solvent by comparison with analytical predictions. We then measure the Taylor–Aris dispersion coefficient for solutions of polymers with constant molecular weight but varying topology. Our results elucidate how molecular architecture influences transport in such microchannels, which is important for applications such as separations based on different polymer architectures and enhanced oil recovery.