Progressive colloidal clogging mechanism by dendritic build-up in porous media

Colloidal transport in porous media governs deposition and clogging mechanisms that critically influence flow behavior and impact the efficiency of both natural and industrial systems. However, the role of dendritic structures, a distinct deposition morphology, in this process remains unclear. Understanding the formation and growth of dendrites is essential for advancing clogging dynamics and assessing their impact on permeability. To address this, we perform microfluidic flow experiments and computational fluid analysis to observe and characterize dendrite formation in a heterogeneous tortuous porous domain. Our results reveal a novel clogging mechanism - dendrite clogging - where a single deposition site initiates a structure that extends across the pore space, bridging grains and causing complete clogging. Unlike previously described aggregation-based clogging, which involves multiple deposition sites, dendrite clogging evolves from a single-site deposition. We establish a flow-dependent criterion for dendrite formation by combining hydrodynamic-adhesive torque balance analysis with experimental deposition patterns. Our findings show that dendrites form when front cone stagnation regions are large enough to accommodate multilayer deposition. Moderate flow rates promote dendrite growth, leading to abrupt permeability loss. In contrast, higher flow rates suppress dendrite formation, resulting in a more gradual decline, as captured by the Verma-Pruess permeability-porosity model. Our results provide a predictive model for flow-induced colloidal deposition, with implications for improving filtration systems, groundwater flow, and biomedical microfluidics. Insights into dendrite-driven clogging could lead to methods for reducing clogging in porous systems and optimizing flow performance in diverse applications.