Liu Jianlin, Zuo Pingcheng
College of Pipeline and Civil Engineering, China University of Petroleum, 266580, Qingdao, China.
Eur Phys J E Soft Matter. 2016 Feb;39(2):17. doi: 10.1140/epje/i2016-16017-6. Epub 2016 Feb 25.
As an emerging material with exotic properties, liquid marble holds great potential for such areas as microfluidics, stimuli-responsive sensors, micro-chemical reactors, micro-bioreactors, energy harvesting devices, and mechanical structures. In this study, we mainly concentrate on the mechanical behaviors, such as elasto-plasticity of liquid marble with the decrease of liquid volume. The contact radius with the substrate and Young's contact angle of liquid marble are both measured with the change of water volume, and those of a water droplet are compared. The mechanism for the different responses for liquid marble and water droplet is clarified according to the mechanics analysis. Moreover, it is found that liquid marble can behave like an elasto-plastic material when the particle surface density is big enough. Based upon this fact, liquid marble can be sculpted to all kinds of special shapes as expected. These investigations may cast new light on how to engineer multifunctional materials and devices, which are beneficial to microprinting and micromachining.
作为一种具有奇特性质的新兴材料，液滴弹在微流体、刺激响应传感器、微化学反应器、微生物反应器、能量收集装置和机械结构等领域具有巨大潜力。在本研究中，我们主要关注液滴弹随着液体体积减小的弹塑性等力学行为。测量了液滴弹与基底的接触半径和杨氏接触角随水体积的变化，并与水滴的进行了比较。根据力学分析阐明了液滴弹和水滴不同响应的机制。此外，发现当颗粒表面密度足够大时，液滴弹可以表现得像弹塑性材料。基于这一事实，液滴弹可以被雕刻成各种预期的特殊形状。这些研究可能为如何设计多功能材料和器件带来新的启示，这对微印刷和微加工有益。
