. 24/7 Space News .
TECH SPACE
Cereal science: How scientists inverted the Cheerios effect
by Staff Writers
London, UK (SPX) Jun 16, 2016


File image.

Liquid drops on soft solid surfaces interact by an 'inverted Cheerios effect', which can be tweaked so that the droplets move towards or away from each other, according to an international group of scientists publishing in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The phenomenon of the famous breakfast cereal clumping together when floating in a milk bowl is known as the Cheerios effect. The 'inverted Cheerios effect', identified in this paper for the first time, describes a similar scenario but with the roles of liquid and solid being interchanged: liquid droplets interact when resting on a solid - but soft - surface.

In recent years, the classical Cheerios effect has inspired a new set of manufacturing technologies for advanced materials and helped physicists understanding the gravitational collapse of galaxies. Similarly, the newly discovered 'inverted Cheerios effect' may open up new opportunities in engineering and the life sciences.

"Tuning the movement of liquid droplets could have implications for the performance of engineering technologies which rely on drops of water and other liquids," said co-author Dr Lorenzo Botto from Queen Mary University of London's School of Engineering and Materials Science (London, UK).

"For example, the physical phenomena we have highlighted in this paper suggest ways to design surfaces that prevent fogging or control heat transfer; for instance to create car windows that are always transparent despite high humidity or surfaces that improve heat management in conditioners or boilers. By making surfaces softer or harder, and changing the thickness of the soft layer, we will be able to control how the drops coalesce and spread on the substrate."

The international team of scientists suggest the interactions of the liquid particles can be tuned to repel each other or move towards each other by changing the thickness and softness of the substrate.

Co-author Stefan Karpitschka, who recently moved from University of Twente (Enschede, The Netherlands) to Stanford University (California, USA), said: "The droplets deform the surface on which they live, and due to this deformation, they interact; somewhat reminiscent of general relativity, from which we know that galaxies or black holes interact by deforming space around them.

"What is remarkable about our case though is the fact that the direction of the interaction can be tuned by the medium, without modifying the particles themselves."

Dr Botto added: "While the science is quite young, there are exciting implications of our work not just limited to engineering. For example, quantifying the forces at play when drops sit on a soft layer will also help us understand how cells interact with each other and with the soft tissues on which they live."


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


.


Related Links
Queen Mary University of London
Space Technology News - Applications and Research






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

Previous Report
TECH SPACE
Oregon chemists build a new, stable open-shell molecule
Eugene OR (SPX) Jun 14, 2016
University of Oregon chemists have synthesized a stable and long-lasting carbon-based molecule that, they say, potentially could be applicable in solar cells and electronic devices. The molecule changes its bonding patterns to a magnetic biradical state when heated; it then returns to a fully bonded non-magnetic closed state at room temperature. That transition, they report, can be done re ... read more


TECH SPACE
US may approve private venture moon mission: report

Fifty Years of Moon Dust

Airbus Defence and Space to guide lunar lander to the Moon

A new, water-logged history of the Moon

TECH SPACE
Musk explains his 'cargo route' to Mars

Remarkably diverse flora in Utah, USA, trains scientists for future missions on Mars

NASA Mars Orbiters Reveal Seasonal Dust Storm Pattern

Study of Opportunity Wheel Scuff Continues

TECH SPACE
TED Talks aim for wider global reach

Disney brings its brand to Shanghai with new theme park

Tech, beauty intersect in Silicon Valley

Second Starliner Begins Assembly in Florida Factory

TECH SPACE
Experts Fear Chinese Space Station Could Crash Into Earth

Bolivia to pay back loan to China for Tupac Katari satellite

China plans 5 new space science satellites

NASA Chief: Congress Should Revise US-China Space Cooperation Law

TECH SPACE
Cygnus space capsule departs International Space Station

Russian, US Astronauts to Return From ISS on June 18

Astronauts enter inflatable room at space station

First steps into BEAM will expand the frontiers of habitats for space

TECH SPACE
MUOS-5 satellite encapsulated for launch

Airbus Safran Launchers confirms the maturity of the Ariane 6 launcher

Russian Proton-M Rocket Puts US Intelsat DLA-2 Satellite Into Orbit

US Senate reaches compromise on Russian rocket engines

TECH SPACE
New planet is largest discovered that orbits 2 suns

Cloudy Days on Exoplanets May Hide Atmospheric Water

Likely new planet may be in slow death spiral

On exoplanets, atmospheric water may be hiding behind clouds

TECH SPACE
Fighting virtual reality sickness

Cereal science: How scientists inverted the Cheerios effect

Can computers do magic?

New maths accurately captures liquids and surfaces moving in synergy









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.