Researchers at Bengaluru’s Raman Research Institute (RRI) have delved into the mechanics of crack formation in clay, uncovering insights that hold promise for fields like medicine, food testing, and paint technology.
Clay, blood, and paint belong to a class of materials known as colloids—mixtures where one substance is dispersed as tiny particles within another. Given clay’s heat-resistant properties, it’s frequently used in extreme heat applications, such as spacecraft coatings.
The study, led by Prof. Ranjini Bandyopadhyay, head of the RheoDLS lab, and Vaibhav Parmar, a PhD scholar, establishes a relationship between the time it takes for the first crack to appear, fracture energy (the energy needed to break the material), and the elasticity of drying clay. Tested on clay samples with varying compositions and salinity, the theoretical model aligned well with experimental data.
This research extends beyond clay to drying colloidal layers like blood and paint. Potential applications include diagnosing anemia by analyzing dried blood droplets, enhancing paint quality by improving crack resistance, and preserving historical artwork.
“By altering material concentrations, salt levels, or pH, we can adjust elasticity to delay crack onset,” Prof. Bandyopadhyay noted. This insight can refine spacecraft coatings or extend the durability of medicine capsules.
Highlighting global parallels, the professor cited studies in the Netherlands that analyzed cracks to restore paintings like Girl with a Pearl Earring. RRI’s work even demonstrated detecting milk adulteration through drying patterns.
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