Issue 31, 2012

Wrinkling of a nanometric glassy skin/crust induced by drying in poly(vinyl alcohol) gels

Abstract

During drying of a chemically crosslinked poly(vinyl alcohol) gel, we observed, by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electronic microscopy, micron-order wrinkling which remains until the end of drying. We show that while at high humidity drying is homogeneous and no surface instability is observed, fast drying at low humidity induces the formation of a glassy skin layer on the soft bulk that wrinkles because the skin is compressed as the bulk contracts. The role of the glass transition is not only to create a mismatch of the elasticity with the bulk but also to remove the in-plane tensile tension which stretches the skin before drying. We proved experimentally the presence of this thin glassy skin on the wet bulk by approach–retract curve measurements in AFM. We also comment on the effect of mechanical restraint and the observation of hierarchical wrinkling over different length scales.

Graphical abstract: Wrinkling of a nanometric glassy skin/crust induced by drying in poly(vinyl alcohol) gels

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
29 Feb 2012
Accepted
30 May 2012
First published
25 Jun 2012

Soft Matter, 2012,8, 8075-8081

Wrinkling of a nanometric glassy skin/crust induced by drying in poly(vinyl alcohol) gels

K. Huraux, T. Narita, B. Bresson, C. Frétigny and F. Lequeux, Soft Matter, 2012, 8, 8075 DOI: 10.1039/C2SM25480H

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