Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 224501 (2003) [4 pages]

Flow and Fracture in Drying Nanoparticle Suspensions

Abstract

References

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E. R. Dufresne^1,2, E. I. Corwin^1,*, N. A. Greenblatt¹, J. Ashmore², D. Y. Wang^1,2, A. D. Dinsmore^1,2,†, J. X. Cheng³, X. S. Xie³, J. W. Hutchinson², and D. A. Weitz^1,2
¹Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
²DEAS, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
³Department of Chemistry, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA

Received 5 May 2003; published 24 November 2003

Drying aqueous suspensions of monodisperse silica nanoparticles can fracture in remarkable patterns. As the material solidifies, evenly spaced cracks invade from the drying surface, with individual cracks undergoing intermittent motion. We show that the growth of cracks is limited by the advancement of the compaction front, which is governed by a balance of evaporation and flow of fluid at the drying surface. Surprisingly, the macroscopic dynamics of drying show signatures of molecular-scale fluid effects.

URL:

http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.91.224501

DOI:

10.1103/PhysRevLett.91.224501

PACS:

47.55.Mh, 62.20.Mk, 68.08.Bc, 82.70.Dd

^*Current address: Department of Physics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL.

^†Current address: Department of Physics, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA.

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Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 224501 (2003) [4 pages]

Flow and Fracture in Drying Nanoparticle Suspensions