Back to Search
Start Over
Rearrangement zone around a crack tip in a double self-assembled transient network
- Source :
- ACS Macro Letters 2016, 5, 1080-1083
- Publication Year :
- 2016
-
Abstract
- We investigate the nucleation and propagation of cracks in self-assembled viscoelastic fluids, which are made of surfactant micelles reversibly linked by telechelic polymers. The morphology of the micelles can be continuously tuned, from spherical to rod-like to wormlike, thus producing transient double networks when the micelles are sufficiently long and entangled, and transient single networks otherwise. For a single network, we show that cracks nucleate when the sample deformation rate involved is comparable to the relaxation time scale of the network. For a double network, by contrast, significant rearrangements of the micelles occur as a crack nucleates and propagates. We show that birefringence develops at the crack tip over a finite length, $\xi$, which corresponds to the length scale over which micelles alignment occur. We find that $\xi$ is larger for slower cracks, suggesting an increase of ductility.<br />Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures
- Subjects :
- Condensed Matter - Soft Condensed Matter
Subjects
Details
- Database :
- arXiv
- Journal :
- ACS Macro Letters 2016, 5, 1080-1083
- Publication Type :
- Report
- Accession number :
- edsarx.1607.02271
- Document Type :
- Working Paper
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1021/acsmacrolett.6b00516