Regensburg 2013 – wissenschaftliches Programm

Bereiche | Tage | Auswahl | Suche | Aktualisierungen | Downloads | Hilfe

CPP: Fachverband Chemische Physik und Polymerphysik

CPP 36: Poster: (Hydro)gels and Elastomers

CPP 36.5: Poster

Mittwoch, 13. März 2013, 16:30–18:30, Poster C

Wetting induced structure formation in elastic porous media — •Zrinka Gattin, Ohle Claussen, Stephan Herminghaus, and Martin Brinkmann — MPI DS, Am Fassberg 17, 37077 Gottingen, Germany

The interplay between the elasticity of a porous matrix and interfacial stresses can give rise to a wide variety of unexpected phenomena including spontaneous symmetry breaking and pattern formation.

Many properties of a fibre network undergo large changes when exposed to a wetting liquid. The mechanical response of an elastic fibre network, for example, to compression or shear changes noticeably between the dry and the wet state. A number of processes can lead to the formation of liquid domains in a fibre network. This includes phase separation of the ambient fluid, impact of aerosol droplets on fibres, or spontaneous imbibitions of liquid. In all of these cases the elasticity of the elastic matrix in combination with its wetting properties will have an effect on the dynamics of these processes.

Motivated by experiments on the demixing of binary liquids in polymer gels we study the formation and interaction of liquid droplets in a dilute elastic medium. To model the phase separating liquids we use a lattice gas model while the elastic matrix is represented by a network of tethered particles which are interacting with the fluid phases. Here, we present preliminary results on the deformation of the network due to interfacial stresses for different configurations of the liquid domains after demixing. The results of our simulations are compared to predictions of a simple continuum model of the elastic matrix.