AI Insight
Research by Thamires Lima at Drexel University has demonstrated that certain viscous liquids can fracture rather than flow when stretched, challenging conventional understanding of fluid behavior. Using extensional rheology techniques that stretch liquids between metal plates, Lima discovered that thick fluids like polymer melts can exhibit solid-like fracturing under tension instead of the expected flowing behavior. This phenomenon occurs in materials such as polypropylene and crude oil when subjected to specific stretching forces.
Why it matters
Understanding fracture behavior in viscous fluids has significant implications for industrial processes involving polymer processing, oil extraction, and manufacturing of materials where liquids are stretched or drawn. This knowledge could help prevent equipment failures and optimize production processes in chemical engineering applications where these unexpected fracture events might occur.
Understand the Science
Thamires Lima, a research professor in chemical engineering at Drexel University, studies the properties of thick, viscous liquids — think honey or molasses, though in a lab you’re more likely to find polypropylene or crude oil. Using a method called extensional rheology, Lima stretches liquids between metal plates to find the force that makes them flow. A few years ago, she was conducting a…
Source: We Know Simple Fluids Can Flow. Turns Out, Some Can Fracture.