- Invited
Too large, too crowded, too sticky: Clogging of particulate suspensions
Phys. Rev. Fluids 11, 020502 – Published 18 February, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/rfk8-jtj9
Abstract
Clogging can occur in confined flows of particulate suspensions that carry either too many particles or particles that are too large or too sticky. As a result, clogging is a significant problem in many engineering systems, ranging from inkjet printer nozzles to the progressive clogging of irrigation systems, which impairs their performance and sometimes leads to the entire failure of a system. The challenge in studying clogging by suspensions of particles is that the underlying physics is complex and spans many length scales and timescales, such that developing a general framework remains complex. In this article, we discuss how and why flowing particles can get stuck and clog fluid systems. In particular, we highlight the role of various clogging mechanisms at play in different systems and recent efforts to characterize, model, and prevent, or at least delay, clogging. Predicting when clogging is likely to occur and working to prevent it can lead to the development of new design principles for clog-resilient systems, thereby improving the reliability of fluid systems.
