Gravity and light reveal how liquids turn into thin fibers
From spiders spinning their webs to the manufacturing of textiles, the formation of fibers from liquids plays an important role in both nature and industry. Yet accurately predicting the properties of such fibers remains a challenge. The fiber is often much thinner than the nozzle from which a polymer or solution is extruded. Factors such as temperature, flow conditions and chemical reactions…
Gravity and light have provided insights into the transformation of liquids into thin fibers, a process crucial in both natural phenomena and industrial applications. While the formation of such fibers often results in structures thinner than the nozzle they are extruded from, factors like temperature, flow conditions, and chemical reactions significantly impact their thickness and strength.
In a recent study, researcher Jan Siemen Smink from the Faculty of Engineering Technology explored the physical processes behind this transformation. Smink devised an experimental setup that continuously stretched a jet of highly reactive liquid resin under the influence of gravity. By employing precisely timed ultraviolet (UV) light exposure, the liquid was solidified at a controlled moment, forming a thin fiber.
Through this method, Smink and his colleagues were able to meticulously examine the influence of various factors on the fiber's properties. These factors included the intensity of UV light, the effect of gravity, the role of inertia, and the impact of capillary forces on both the solidification rate and the resulting fiber's characteristics.
The findings of this research, titled "Fast Solidification of a Gravity-Stretched Liquid Jet," were published on October 2 in Physical Review Letters.
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