Development and geometry of isotropic
and directional shrinkage crack patterns
Development and geometry of isotropic
and directional shrinkage crack patterns
Physical Review E, 61, 6950 (2000).
Kelly A. Shorlin and
John R. de Bruyn
Department of Physics and Physical Oceanography,
Memorial University of Newfoundland,
St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada A1B 3X7
Malcolm Graham and
Stephen W. Morris
Department of Physics, University of Toronto,
60 St. George St., Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1A7.
We have studied shrinkage crack patterns which form when a thin layer
of an alumina/water slurry dries. Both isotropic and directional
drying were studied. The dynamics of the pattern formation process and
the geometric properties of the isotropic crack patterns are similar
to what is expected from recent models, assuming weak disorder. There
is some evidence for a gradual increase in disorder as the drying
layer become thinner, but no sudden transition, in contrast to what
has been seen in previous experiments. The morphology of the crack
patterns is influenced by drying gradients and front propagation
effects, with sharp gradients having a strong orienting and ordering
effect.