Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 17, 2026
10:56
Confocal Imaging of Confined Quiescent and Flowing Colloid-polymer Mixtures
Published on: May 20, 2014
Three-dimensional jamming and flows of soft glassy materials
G Ovarlez1, Q Barral, P Coussot
1Université Paris Est, Laboratoire Navier, LMSGC (CNRS-ENPC-LCPC), 77420 Champs sur Marne, France. guillaume.ovarlez@lcpc.fr
Nature Materials
|January 12, 2010
Summary
Soft glassy materials jam from liquid to solid states. Experiments reveal they unjam in all directions simultaneously, behaving like simple liquids under secondary flow, crucial for geophysical and industrial applications.
Area of Science:
- Physics
- Materials Science
- Rheology
Background:
- Disordered dense systems like foams, gels, and suspensions exhibit a jamming transition.
- These soft glassy materials share structural similarities with conventional glasses.
- Their nonlinear rheological behavior and microscopic origins remain poorly understood despite significant applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a simple three-dimensional continuum description for soft glassy materials.
- To investigate the jamming transition and rheological properties of these systems.
- To elucidate the microscopic origins of their complex flow behavior.
Main Methods:
- Conducted two original experiments to probe the mechanical response of soft glassy materials.
- Applied controlled shear flow in specific directions.
- Observed system behavior under secondary flow conditions and across different directions.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated that soft glassy materials unjam simultaneously in all spatial directions, lacking directional yield resistance.
- Identified the jamming criterion as analogous to the plasticity criterion in solids.
- Observed liquid-like behavior in directions orthogonal to the main flow, with shear rate-dependent viscosity.
Conclusions:
- A simple 3D continuum model can describe the behavior of soft glassy materials.
- The jamming transition is isotropic, and the plasticity criterion governs it.
- Shear-induced structural relaxation influences viscosity, mirroring temperature and density effects in other glasses.
Related Concept Videos
01:17Steady, Laminar Flow Between Parallel Plates
Understanding steady, laminar flow between parallel plates is essential for analyzing and designing flow in narrow rectangular channels, commonly found in various water conveyance and drainage systems. The Navier-Stokes equations govern fluid motion and are generally challenging to solve due to their nonlinearity. However, simplifications are possible in certain cases, like the steady laminar flow between parallel plates. For this scenario, we assume steady, incompressible, laminar flow.
01:34Fluid Mosaic Model
The fluid mosaic model was first proposed as a visual representation of research observations. The model comprises the composition and dynamics of membranes and serves as a foundation for future membrane-related studies. The model depicts the structure of the plasma membrane with a variety of components, which include phospholipids, proteins, and carbohydrates. These integral molecules are loosely bound, defining the cell’s border and providing fluidity for optimal function.LipidsThe most...
01:19Fluid Mosaic Model
Scientists identified the plasma membrane in the 1890s and its principal chemical components (lipids and proteins) by 1915. The model for plasma membrane structure, proposed in 1935 by Hugh Davson and James Danielli, was the first model to be widely accepted in the scientific community. The model was based on the plasma membrane's "railroad track" appearance in early electron micrographs. Davson and Danielli theorized that the plasma membrane's structure resembled a sandwich with the analogy of...
01:17Viscosity
When water is poured into a glass, it falls freely and quickly, whereas if honey or maple syrup is poured over a pancake, it flows slowly and sticks to the surface of the container. This difference in the flow of different kinds of liquids arises due to the fluid friction between the liquid layers and the liquid and the surrounding material. This property of fluids is called fluid viscosity. In this example, water has a lower viscosity than honey and maple syrup.
The SI unit of viscosity is...
The SI unit of viscosity is...
01:23Steady, Laminar Flow in Circular Tubes
Hagen-Poiseuille flow describes a viscous fluid's steady, incompressible flow through a cylindrical tube with a constant radius R. This flow profile is often applied to understand fluid transport in narrow channels, such as capillaries. It serves as a foundational example of laminar flow. In this model, cylindrical coordinates (r,θ,z) are used to describe the radial (r), angular (θ), and axial (z) dimensions within the tube. For Hagen-Poiseuille flow, the velocity profile is purely axial,...
01:30Three-Dimensional Force System
In mechanical engineering, a three-dimensional force system is a system of forces acting in three dimensions, with forces applied along the x, y, and z coordinate axes. The three-dimensional force system is an important concept in mechanical engineering, as it allows engineers to understand and analyze the behavior of objects and structures in three dimensions. By understanding the forces acting on a system, engineers can design more efficient and effective mechanical systems that can withstand...