Spinning elastic beads: a route for simultaneous measurements of the shear modulus and the interfacial energy of soft materials. Issue 36 (18th August 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Carbonaro, Alessandro; Chagua-Encarnacion, Kennedy-Nexon; Charles, Carole-Ann; Phou, Ty; Ligoure, Christian; Mora, Serge; Truzzolillo, Domenico
• Is Part Of: Soft matter. Volume 16:Issue 36(2020)
• Page Start: 8412
• Page End: 8421
• Publication Date: 2020-08-18
• Subjects: Soft condensed matter -- Periodicals; 530.413
• DOI: 10.1039/d0sm01024c
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1744-683X

Abstract

Abstract : We demonstrate that the elastic modulus and the surface energy constant of soft elastic materials can be simultaneously measured by analysing the deformation of millimetric beads under centrifugal forcing. Abstract : Large deformations of soft elastic beads spinning at high angular velocity in a denser background fluid are investigated theoretically, numerically, and experimentally using millimeter-size polyacrylamide hydrogel particles introduced in a spinning drop tensiometer. We determine the equilibrium shapes of the beads from the competition between the centrifugal force and the restoring elastic and surface forces. Considering the beads as neo-Hookean up to large deformations, we show that their elastic modulus and interfacial energy constant can be simultaneously deduced from their equilibrium shape. Also, our results provide further support to the scenario in which interfacial energy and interfacial tension coincide for amorphous polymer gels.