Elastocapillary bending of microfibers around liquid droplets

ORAL

Abstract

We present a study of the elastocapillary deformation of flexible microfibers in contact with liquid droplets. As the size of the contacting droplets increases, fibers are found to bend more in response. Finally, at a critical droplet size, proportional to the bending elastocapillary length, the fiber spontaneously winds itself around the droplet. Simple theoretical considerations yield predictions which are in agreement with the experimental results.

–

Authors

  • Kari Dalnoki-Veress

    McMaster University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, L8S 4M1, Department of Physics & Astronomy, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada

  • Rafael Schulman

    Department of Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, L8S 4M1, Department of Physics & Astronomy, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada

  • Amir Porat

    Laboratoire de Physico-Chimie Theorique, UMR CNRS Gulliver 7083, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France

  • Kathleen Charlesworth

    Department of Physics & Astronomy, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada

  • Adam Fortais

    Department of Physics & Astronomy, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada, McMaster University

  • Thomas Salez

    ESPCI, Laboratoire de Physico-Chimie Theorique, UMR CNRS Gulliver 7083, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France

  • Elie Raphael

    ESPCI Paris, ESPCI, Laboratoire de Physico-Chimie Theorique, UMR CNRS Gulliver 7083, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France