Recent Research on Gel Rheology, Flow, Atomization and Combustion

A special issue of Gels (ISSN 2310-2861). This special issue belongs to the section "Gel Chemistry and Physics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 916

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200231, China
Interests: coal gasification; fluid mechanics; multiphase flow

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200231, China
Interests: energy; gasification; fluid mechanics; multiphase flow

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue aims to publish papers that deal with the rheology, flow, atomization and combustion of gels. Gel is a fluid which has an rheological property when gelling agents are used (or gellants), so that it behaves as a solid at rest and can be atomized and combusted like conventional liquid when flowing under shear. Gel has numerous applications in life and production, such as in fuel, aerospace propellant, biogel, edible gel, and drug preparation applications. Gel, which offers the dual advantages of liquid and solid behaviors, has been paid much attention as a new type of material in many engineering fields. Commonly used gels are mostly polymers, whose long-chain molecular structures form strong entangled or crosslinked networks through hydrogen bonds, and so on, when dispersed in liquid. Their three-dimensional network structure is linked through physical or chemical interaction. Therefore, gels have unique rheological properties such as thickening, stabilizing, binding, etc. Their rheological properties show the complex behavior of non-Newtonian fluids, which has a significant effect on flow, atomization, and combustion. Gel-related materials have not yet reached maturity, and additional research has to be conducted. It is important to recognize the advantages of these gel unique properties in various applications.

We invite you to submit review articles, original papers, and communications for this Special Issue, “Recent Research on Gel Rheology, Flow, Atomization and Combustion”.

Dr. Hui Zhao
Prof. Dr. Haifeng Liu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Gels is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • gels
  • semi solid
  • yield stress
  • viscoelasticity
  • atomization and sprays
  • ignition and combustion

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

22 pages, 7024 KB  
Article
Tuning Pluronic Hydrogel Networks: Effects of Vancomycin Loading on Gelation, Rheological Properties, and Micellar Structures
by Michael J. Gaffney, Qi Han, Kate Fox and Nhiem Tran
Gels 2025, 11(9), 688; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels11090688 - 29 Aug 2025
Viewed by 473
Abstract
Thermoresponsive Pluronic hydrogels offer a promising platform for localised antibiotic delivery. However, how drug loading affects the structural integrity and gelation of these systems remains underexplored. This study evaluates the impact of vancomycin on the physicochemical and self-assembly behaviour of Pluronic F127, F108, [...] Read more.
Thermoresponsive Pluronic hydrogels offer a promising platform for localised antibiotic delivery. However, how drug loading affects the structural integrity and gelation of these systems remains underexplored. This study evaluates the impact of vancomycin on the physicochemical and self-assembly behaviour of Pluronic F127, F108, and F68 hydrogels. Rheological analysis revealed that vancomycin altered the critical micellisation and gelation temperatures (CMT and CGT, respectively), accelerating gelation in weak gel systems but disrupting network formation in stronger gels. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) showed that vancomycin suppressed micellar ordering, particularly along FCC (111) planes in F127, without inducing a phase transition. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging confirmed reduced pore integrity in vancomycin-loaded F127 and F108 gels, while 35% F68 gels failed to form stable structures at the tested concentrations despite enhanced drug solubility. F127 (18%) and F108 (22–23%) maintained gelation at 37 °C with reasonable mechanical strength and partial cubic ordering, making them suitable candidates for drug-eluting gels. These findings inform the design of thermoresponsive hydrogels for localised, implant-associated antibiotic delivery. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Research on Gel Rheology, Flow, Atomization and Combustion)
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