Dr Nina Kovalchuck PhD

School of Chemical Engineering
Research Fellow

Contact details

Address
School of Chemical Engineering
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Nina Kovalchuk is a Research Fellow working on EPSRC funded MEMPHIS (Multi-scale Exploration of MultiPhase Physics In FlowS) program. 

Nina published over 60 research papers in scientific journals as well as book chapters in the field of adsorption dynamics and the effect of surfactants on multiphase flows (instabilities due to surfactant transfer, surfactant enhanced spreading and superspreading, formation and coalescence of drops on macroscale and in microfluidic devices), stability and dynamics of foams, suspensions and emulsions. She also gives conference and invited talks on the above subjects

Career History

Nina Kovalchuk got her PhD in material science in 1996. She moved to the area of colloid and interface science in 1998 and worked as a postdoctoral research scientist at the Institute of Biocolloid Chemistry, Kiev, Ukraine, the Max-Planck Institute of Colloids and Surfaces, Potsdam, Germany and the Department of Chemical Engineering, Loughborough University. Currently she is a Research Fellow at the School of Chemical Engineering University of Birmingham.

Qualifications

  • AFHEA 2015
  • PhD in material science 1996
  • MSc in physics, Kiev State University, Ukraine, 1981

Biography

Nina Kovalchuk got her PhD in material science in 1996. She moved to the area of colloid and interface science in 1998 and worked as a postdoctoral research scientist at the Institute of Biocolloid Chemistry, Kiev, Ukraine, the Max-Planck Institute of Colloids and Surfaces, Potsdam, Germany and the Department of Chemical Engineering, Loughborough University. Currently she is a Research Fellow at the School of Chemical Engineering University of Birmingham.

Teaching

Co-supervision of students research projects

Postgraduate supervision

Involved in different PhD projects of Particle and Multiphase Processing research group.

Research

Research Themes

  • kinetics of liquid bridges and drop formation in the presence of soluble surfactants on mm scale and in microfluidics;
  • wetting, spreading and evaporation of liquids on various substrates;
  • interfacial layers, dynamics of adsorption and interfacial rheology;
  • foams: formation, drainage, interaction with substrates;
  • rheology of complex liquids;
  • molecular recognition;
  • self-organization in multiphase liquid systems far from equilibrium containing surfactants.   

 

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Hu, J, Zhu, K, Cheng, S, Kovalchuk, N, Soulsby, A, Simmons, M, Matar, OK & Arcucci, R 2024, 'Explainable AI models for predicting drop coalescence in microfluidics device', Chemical Engineering Journal, vol. 481, 148465. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2023.148465

Basha, N, Arcucci, R, Angeli, P, Anastasiou, C, Abadie, T, Casas, CQ, Chen, J, Cheng, S, Chagot, L, Galvanin, F, Heaney, CE, Hossein, F, Hu, J, Kovalchuk, N, Kalli, M, Kahouadji, L, Kerhouant, M, Lavino, A, Liang, F, Nathanael, K, Magri, L, Lettieri, P, Materazzi, M, Erigo, M, Pico, P, Pain, CC, Shams, M, Simmons, M, Traverso, T, Valdes, JP, Wolffs, Z, Zhu, K, Zhuang, Y & Matar, OK 2024, 'Machine learning and physics-driven modelling and simulation of multiphase systems', International Journal of Multiphase Flow, vol. 179, 104936. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmultiphaseflow.2024.104936

Kovalchuk, NM, Sagisaka, M, Komiyama, H & Simmons, MJH 2024, 'Spreading of aqueous surfactant solutions on oil substrates: Superspreaders vs non-superspreaders', Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, vol. 661, pp. 1046-1059. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcis.2024.02.031

Zhu, K, Cheng, S, Kovalchuk, N, Simmons, MJH, Guo, Y, Matar, O & Arcucci, R 2023, 'Analyzing drop coalescence in microfluidic devices with a deep learning generative model', Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, vol. 25, no. 23, pp. 15744-15755. https://doi.org/10.1039/D2CP05975D

Nathanael, K, Galvanin, F, Kovalchuk, NM & Simmons, MJH 2023, 'Development of a predictive response surface model for size of silver nanoparticles synthesized in a T-junction microfluidic device', Chemical Engineering Science, vol. 279, 118907. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ces.2023.118907

Nathanael, K, Cheng, S, Kovalchuk, NM, Arcucci, R & Simmons, MJH 2023, 'Optimization of microfluidic synthesis of silver nanoparticles: a generic approach using machine learning', Chemical Engineering Research and Design, vol. 193, pp. 65-74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cherd.2023.03.007

Kovalchuk, NM & Simmons, MJH 2023, 'Review of the role of surfactant dynamics in drop microfluidics', Advances in Colloid and Interface Science, vol. 312, 102844. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cis.2023.102844

Pico, P, Nathanael, K, Lavino, AD, Kovalchuk, NM, Simmons, MJH & Matar, OK 2023, 'Silver nanoparticles synthesis in microfluidic and well-mixed reactors: A combined experimental and PBM-CFD study', Chemical Engineering Journal, vol. 474, 145692. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2023.145692

Zhuang, Y, Cheng, S, Kovalchuk, N, Simmons, MJH, Matar, O, Guo, Y & Arcucci, R 2022, 'Ensemble latent assimilation with deep learning surrogate model: application to drop interaction in microfluidics device', Lab on a Chip, vol. 22, no. 17, pp. 3187-3202. https://doi.org/10.1039/D2LC00303A

Chagot, L, Quilodrán-casas, C, Kalli, M, Kovalchuk, NM, Simmons, MJH, Matar, OK, Arcucci, R & Angeli, P 2022, 'Surfactant-laden droplet size prediction in a flow-focusing microchannel: a data-driven approach', Lab on a Chip. https://doi.org/10.1039/D2LC00416J

Kiratzis, I, Kovalchuk, NM, Simmons, MJH & Vigolo, D 2021, 'Effect of surfactant addition and viscosity of the continuous phase on flow fields and kinetics of drop formation in a flow-focusing microfluidic device', Chemical Engineering Science, vol. 248, 117183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ces.2021.117183

Kovalchuk, NM & Simmons, MJH 2021, 'Effect of surfactant dynamics on flow patterns inside drops moving in rectangular microfluidic channels', Colloids and Interfaces, vol. 5, no. 3, 40. https://doi.org/10.3390/colloids5030040

Alberini, F, Simmons, M & Kovalchuk, N 2020, 'Effect of moderate DC electric field on formation of surfactant-laden drops', Chemical Engineering Research and Design, vol. 157, pp. 133-141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cherd.2020.03.009

Lu, Y, Kovalchuk, NM, Che, Z & Simmons, MJH 2020, 'Interfacial instabilities due to immiscible fluid displacement in circular and non-circular microchannels', Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science, vol. 113, 110045, pp. 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.expthermflusci.2020.110045

Review article

Nathanael, K, Pico, P, Kovalchuk, NM, Lavino, AD, Simmons, MJH & Matar, OK 2022, 'Computational modelling and microfluidics as emerging approaches to synthesis of silver nanoparticles – a review', Chemical Engineering Journal, vol. 436, 135178. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2022.135178

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