Elasticity and failure of liquid marbles: influence of particle coating and marble volume

Abstract

When coated with microscale hydrophobic particles, macroscopic liquid droplets can become non-wetting liquid marbles that exhibit an array of fascinating solid-like properties. Specifically, the force required to uniaxially compress liquid marbles depends on their volume, but it is unclear if the particle coating plays a role. In contrast, the failure of marbles upon compression does depend on the particle coating, but the conditions for failure do not appear to change with marble volume. Here, we experimentally study the elastic deformation and failure of liquid marbles and, by applying a doubly truncated oblate spheroid model to quantify their surface area, explore the role of marble volume and particle composition. First, we find that the work required to compress liquid marbles agrees with the product of the core fluid surface tension and the change in the marble surface area, validating that the elastic mechanics of liquid marbles is independent of the particle coating. Next, we study marble failure by measuring their ductility as quantified by the maximum fractional increase in marble surface area prior to rupture. Not only does marble ductility depend on the particle coating, but it also depends on marble volume with smaller marbles being more ductile. This size effect is attributed to an interaction between marble curvature and particle rafts held together by interparticle forces. These results illuminate new avenues to tailor the rupture of liquid marbles for applications spanning smart fluid handling and pollution mitigation.