Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Gravity-Driven Assembly Dynamics of Liquid Metal Microdroplets for Functional Composite Films.

Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)·2026
Same author

Liquids as Reinforcements for Anisotropic and Tough Soft Matter Composites.

Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)·2026
Same author

Iron-On Wearable Electronics through Liquid Metal Adhesive Composites.

ACS applied materials & interfaces·2025
Same author

Mineralized sclerites in the gorgonian coral <i>Leptogorgia chilensis</i> as a natural jamming system.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2025
Same author

Textile-integrated multilayer liquid metal soft circuits for multienvironment wearable electronics.

Materials horizons·2025
Same author

Liquid Metal-Vitrimer Conductive Composite for Recyclable and Resilient Electronics.

Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 13, 2026

Revealing Dynamic Processes of Materials in Liquids Using Liquid Cell Transmission Electron Microscopy
07:37

Revealing Dynamic Processes of Materials in Liquids Using Liquid Cell Transmission Electron Microscopy

Published on: December 20, 2012

13.3K

Linking Viscosity and Droplet Microstructure in Liquid Metal Composites via 3D MicroCT Analysis.

Hugh P Grennan1, Ohnyoung Hur1, Michael D Bartlett1,2

  • 1Mechanical Engineering, Soft Materials and Structures Lab, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA.

Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|January 12, 2026
PubMed
Summary

Processing liquid metal (LM) composites impacts their microstructure. Rheology and micro-computed tomography (microCT) reveal how viscosity controls LM droplet formation, enabling tailored properties for advanced devices.

Keywords:
liquid metal compositesmicro‐computed tomography (microCT)processing‐structure relationshipsrheologysoft electronics

More Related Videos

Fabricating High-viscosity Droplets using Microfluidic Capillary Device with Phase-inversion Co-flow Structure
08:02

Fabricating High-viscosity Droplets using Microfluidic Capillary Device with Phase-inversion Co-flow Structure

Published on: April 17, 2018

10.9K
Fast Imaging Technique to Study Drop Impact Dynamics of Non-Newtonian Fluids
10:09

Fast Imaging Technique to Study Drop Impact Dynamics of Non-Newtonian Fluids

Published on: March 5, 2014

12.8K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 13, 2026

Revealing Dynamic Processes of Materials in Liquids Using Liquid Cell Transmission Electron Microscopy
07:37

Revealing Dynamic Processes of Materials in Liquids Using Liquid Cell Transmission Electron Microscopy

Published on: December 20, 2012

13.3K
Fabricating High-viscosity Droplets using Microfluidic Capillary Device with Phase-inversion Co-flow Structure
08:02

Fabricating High-viscosity Droplets using Microfluidic Capillary Device with Phase-inversion Co-flow Structure

Published on: April 17, 2018

10.9K
Fast Imaging Technique to Study Drop Impact Dynamics of Non-Newtonian Fluids
10:09

Fast Imaging Technique to Study Drop Impact Dynamics of Non-Newtonian Fluids

Published on: March 5, 2014

12.8K

Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Soft Matter Physics
  • Composite Materials

Background:

  • Liquid metal (LM) composites combine compliance, conductivity, and functionality for applications in soft robotics, wearable devices, and flexible electronics.
  • Understanding the influence of processing on microstructure is crucial for realizing the full potential of these materials.
  • Droplet size, dispersion, and settling are key microstructural features that govern the properties of LM composites.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how the rheological properties of uncured composites influence the formation of liquid metal (LM) microstructures within elastomeric matrices.
  • To establish a link between composite rheology, microstructure evolution, and final material properties.
  • To provide design guidelines for processing LM composites with tailored microstructures for enhanced functional device performance.

Main Methods:

  • Rheological measurements were employed to characterize the viscosity of the uncured composites.
  • Micro-computed tomography (microCT) imaging was used for quantitative 3D characterization of LM droplet populations.
  • Systematic variation of LM volume fraction and fumed silica weight fraction, alongside planetary mixing, allowed for the isolation of rheology's role.

Main Results:

  • MicroCT analysis provided statistical evaluation of droplet size distributions, spatial dispersion, and settling behavior for varying composite compositions.
  • Modeling of LM droplet settling during polymer curing enabled prediction of microstructural homogeneity.
  • A significant increase in electrical conductivity (approximately 10^5x) upon indentation was achieved by modifying the microstructure.

Conclusions:

  • Composite rheology fundamentally dictates the resulting LM microstructure.
  • The study provides a design framework for controlling microstructure through processing parameters.
  • These findings facilitate the development of advanced LM composites with enhanced electrical and mechanical properties for functional devices.