Stress Development and Cracking During Drying of Latex films
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Cambridge
Department Name: Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology
Abstract
This project proposes an experimental and theoretical examination of how drying bodies crack. This entails following the stresses developing in a body of particles as water is removed and the particles deform to fill all space. Starting with a stable colloidal dispersion, the particles pack and deform in a manner determined mainly by temperature. The stress, pulling the film apart, follows from the van der Waals attraction between particles being hindered by the substrate restricting lateral contraction. The material response is a result of the energy consumed by propagating a crack a unit length through a body of randomly aligned deforming particles. This project will model stresses and material fracture toughness to allow prediction of film cracking during drying. Experimentally, a systematic mapping of parameter space will be carried out and the model tested. The packing of particles is intuitively thought to be crucial in both stress generation and fracture toughness development. This can be controlled by manipulation of floc structures in aggregating dispersions, with subsequent drying. This presents the possibility of systematically controlling cracking of thin films.This work will enable coatings formulations to improve, with a reduction in volatile organic components, a major source of air pollution. Academically this is a major colloidal problem, with the coupling between stress generation and material property development making a challanging yet important area for study.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
Alexander Routh (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Atmuri AK
(2012)
Autostratification in drying colloidal dispersions: effect of particle interactions.
in Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids
Dragnevski KI
(2010)
Cracking of drying latex films: an ESEM experiment.
in Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids
Eales A
(2015)
Evaporation of pinned droplets containing polymer - an examination of the important groups controlling final shape
in AIChE Journal
Eales AD
(2015)
The impact of trough geometry on film shape. A theoretical study of droplets containing polymer, for P-OLED display applications.
in Journal of colloid and interface science
Georgiadis A
(2011)
Bespoke periodic topography in hard polymer films by infrared radiation-assisted evaporative lithography
in Soft Matter
Goehring L
(2011)
Wavy cracks in drying colloidal films
in Soft Matter
Goehring L
(2010)
Solidification and ordering during directional drying of a colloidal dispersion.
in Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids
Goehring L
(2010)
Evolution of mud-crack patterns during repeated drying cycles
in Soft Matter
Goehring L
(2013)
Plasticity and Fracture in Drying Colloidal Films
in Physical Review Letters
Gundabala V
(2008)
Lateral surface nonuniformities in drying latex films
in AIChE Journal
Description | We investigated drying films and looked at the patterns that form. The spacing between cracks in drying colloidal films has been an open scientific question for many years and we showed how a hydrodynamic relaxation distance as solvent flows away from an opening crack sets this spacing. |
Exploitation Route | The patterning of films in glazes and pottery is a major use. The growing use of 3D printing is limited by the size of objects that can be fabricated and here the drying of materials is the determining factor |
Sectors | Chemicals,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology |
Description | The field of nanotechnology is moving towards self-assembly of materials. This is where "nano" particles form structures on their own and self assemble. The limitation of this manufacturing method is cracking and the inability to make large coherent structures. This project is a necessary stepping stone to enable us to understand self-assembly processes and progress to green manufacturing methods |
First Year Of Impact | 2008 |
Sector | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Chemicals,Construction,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology |
Description | CDT studentship |
Amount | £30,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Cambridge Display Technology |
Sector | Private |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 10/2011 |
End | 09/2014 |
Description | EU FrameWork 6 |
Amount | £183,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | European Research Council (ERC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | Belgium |
Start | 10/2005 |
End | 12/2009 |
Description | ICI studentship |
Amount | £20,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | ICI plc |
Sector | Private |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 09/2006 |
End | 09/2009 |
Description | Studentship |
Amount | £20,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Eastman Kodak Company (Kodak) |
Department | Kodak European Research |
Sector | Private |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 10/2006 |
End | 09/2009 |
Description | Amherst 2011 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Invited talk at Amherst - |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011 |
Description | BASF 2008 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | gave industrial talk to initiate joint research project - |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2008 |
Description | COSI 2006 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | - |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2006 |
Description | COSI 2012 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Gave invited talk at conference - won award won an award |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
Description | Cracking Club (Princeton, NJ) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Scientific meeting (conference/symposium etc.) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Type Of Presentation | workshop facilitator |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.) |
Results and Impact | Cracking in thin films is controversial and not-understood We got all the active international participants to take part in a cracking club international collaboration and understanding of the physics |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | Pre-2006,2006,2007 |
Description | Erlangen 2014 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Invited talk at international symposium International exposure |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
Description | Karlsruhe 2013 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Gave invited talk in KIT looking to initiate collaboration |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
Description | Lorentz 2010 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | 3 day Lorentz center workshop Gave talk that directed discussion International links and collaboration |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2010 |
Description | McBain 2009 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Participants in your research and patient groups |
Results and Impact | Lecture given as I was presented with award received award |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2009 |
Description | Shanghai 2013 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Gave invited lecture at international conference international exposure |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
Description | Synthomer 2007 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | GAve talk to company to initiate joint research initiated joint research |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2007 |
Description | Yale 2011 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Invited seminar at Yale - |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011 |