Fabrication of Multscale Fractal-Like Structures by Controlling Fluid Interface Instability
Tanveer Ul Islam1, Prasanna S Gandhi1
1Suman Mashruwala Advanced Microengineering Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, 400076, Powai, Mumbai-India.
Scientific Reports
|November 17, 2016
Summary
Researchers controlled fluid instabilities in a Hele-Shaw cell to create permanent, scalable fractal patterns. This bio-mimicking technique enables the fabrication of complex natural structures for scientific and engineering applications.
Area of Science:
- Physics
- Materials Science
- Fluid Dynamics
Background:
- Nature frequently utilizes fractal geometries for efficient system design.
- Hele-Shaw cells typically produce irregular, unstable fluid patterns due to Saffman-Taylor instability.
- Fabricating ordered, scalable fractal structures remains a significant challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a method for controlling Saffman-Taylor instability to create ordered fractal-like patterns.
- To demonstrate the fabrication of multi-generational fractal patterns, including a Cayley tree.
- To enable the permanent retention of these fabricated patterns for practical applications.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing a lifted Hele-Shaw cell with controlled anisotropies (spatially distributed pits).
- Employing a shielding mechanism to guide fluid penetration and prevent finger splitting.
- Using UV/thermally curable fluids to permanently fix the generated patterns.
Main Results:
- Successfully controlled Saffman-Taylor instability to produce ordered, repeatable fractal-like patterns.
- Demonstrated the fabrication of multi-generational patterns, exemplified by a Cayley tree structure.
- Achieved permanent pattern retention using curable fluids, overcoming the transient nature of typical fluid instabilities.
Conclusions:
- The proposed method provides a robust technique for fabricating scalable, ordered fractal-like structures.
- This approach offers a foundation for bio-mimicking natural fractal designs across multiple scales.
- The permanent, controllable fabrication of fractals has potential applications in various scientific and engineering fields.
