Robert D. Peters

Influence of slip on the Plateau-Rayleigh instability on a fibre

The Plateau–Rayleigh instability of a liquid column underlies a variety of fascinating phenomena that can be observed in everyday life. In contrast to the case of a free liquid cylinder, describing the evolution of a liquid layer on a solid fibre requires consideration of the solid–liquid interface. Here we revisit the Plateau–Rayleigh instability of a liquid coating a fibre by varying the hydrodynamic boundary condition at the fibre–liquid interface, from no slip to slip. Although the wavelength is not sensitive to the solid–liquid interface, we find that the growth rate of the undulations strongly depends on the hydrodynamic boundary condition. The experiments are in excellent agreement with a new thin-film theory incorporating slip, thus providing an original, quantitative and robust tool to measure slip lengths.

Film thickness dependent ordering dynamics of lamellar forming diblock copolymer thin films.

Ellipsometry is used in a novel way to study the ordering dynamics of symmetric poly(styrene-methyl methacrylate) diblock copolymer thin films. Ordered thin films form lamellae parallel to the substrate which can form islands or holes at the free surface to ensure commensurability of the layers. The sensitivity of ellipsometry provides the unique ability to probe morphological changes during the ordering process before the ultimate formation of islands or holes at the free surface. We observe three distinct stages in the ordering process: i) an ordering into an intermediate state, ii) an incubation time where the film structure remains constant and iii) the nucleation of islands or holes to achieve equilibrium lamellar morphology. The time-resolved measurement of an incubation period and initial ordering stage provides a means for studying the effect of thickness on the ordering kinetics. The dependence of incubation time on the commensurability of the initial film height is explained using strong segregation theory.Graphical abstract

Strain rate effects on symmetric diblock copolymer liquid bridges: Order-induced stability of polymer fibres

Optical microscopy is used to study the effect of lamellar order on the evolution of polymer-melt bridges. Measurements are performed on symmetric diblock copolymers and linear homopolymers in the melt state. Diblock copolymer bridges measured in the disordered phase are shown to exhibit the same strain rate response as their homopolymer counterparts: shear thinning at low strain rates and shear thickening at high strain rates. However, when measured in the ordered phase, copolymer-melt bridges demonstrate an increased effective viscosity due to the lamellar order and a shear thinning response over the entire range of strain rates probed. The increased viscosity demonstrates an enhanced stability in lamellae forming diblock liquid bridges, presumed to be caused by the isotropic orientational order of lamellar domains that provide energy barriers to flow within the bridge. The shear thinning can be understood as an alignment of lamellae along the axis of the bridge due to flow, facilitating unimpeded diffusion of polymer out of the liquid bridge along lamellar boundaries.Graphical abstract