Abstract
We present an experimental study of the spreading dynamics of symmetric diblock copolymer droplets above and below the order-disorder transition. Disordered diblock droplets are found to spread as a homopolymer and follow Tanner’s law (the radius grows as R ∼ t m , where t is time and m = 1/10 . However, droplets that are in the ordered phase are found to be frustrated by the imposed lamellar microstructure. This frustration is likely at the root of the observed deviation from Tanner’s law: droplet spreading has a much slower power law ( m ∼ 0.05±0.01 . We show that the different spreading dynamics can be reconciled with conventional theory if a strain-rate-dependent viscosity is taken into account.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
P.G. de Gennes, F. Brochard-Wyart, D. Quéré, Capillarity and Wetting Phenomena (Springer-Verlag New York Inc., 2002) pp. 139-151.
L.H. Tanner, J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 12, 1473 (1979).
M.D. Lelah, A. Marmur, J. Colloid Interface Sci. 82, 518 (1981).
G. He, N.G. Hadjiconstantinou, J. Fluid. Mech. 497, 123 (2003).
D. Ausserré, A.M. Picard, L. Léger, Phys. Rev. Lett. 57, 2671 (1986).
L. Léger, M. Erman, A.M. Guinet-Picard, D. Ausserré, C. Strazielle, Phys. Rev. Lett. 60, 2671 (1988).
E. Pérez, E. Schäffer, U. Steiner, J. Colloid Interface Sci. 234, 178 (2001).
D.R. Heine, G.S. Grest, E.B. Webb III, Phys. Rev. E 68, 061603 (2003).
W. Hardy, Philos. Mag. 38, 49 (1919).
P.G. de Gennes, Rev. Mod. Phys. 57, 827 (1985).
G.H. Fredrickson, F.S. Bates, Annu. Rev. Mater. Sci. 26, 501 (1996).
M.J. Fasolka, A.M. Mayes, Annu. Rev. Mater. Sci. 31, 323 (2001).
F.S. Bates, G.H. Fredrickson, Annu. Rev. Phys. Chem. 41, 525 (1996).
M.W. Matsen, J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 14, R21 (2002).
With $\beta \sim 0.6$, the scaling of $\alpha \sim \Omega^{0.296}$. This is not discernible from the scaling observed in Tanner’s law regime of $\alpha \sim \Omega^{3/10}$ and the reason is that the collapse of the data in fig. master works well in both regimes.
H. Braun, W. Gleinser, H.-J. Cantow, J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 49, 487 (1993).
A.B. Croll, M.V. Massa, M.W. Matsen, K. Dalnoki-Veress, Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 204502 (2006).
R.G. Larson, K.I. Winey, S.S. Patel, H. Watanabe, R. Bruinsma, Rheol. Acta. 32, 245 (1993).
W.W. Graessley, Adv. Polym. Sci. 16, 1 (1974).
T.A. Witten, L. Leibler, P.A. Pincus, Macromolecules 23, 824 (1990).
A.B. Croll, M.W. Matsen, A.-C. Shi, K. Dalnoki-Veress, Eur. Phys. J. E 27, 407 (2008).
S. Rafaï, D. Bonn, A. Boudaoud, J. Fluid. Mech. 513, 77 (2004).
A. Menelle, T.P. Russell, S.H. Anastasiadas, S.K. Satija, C.F. Majkrzak, Phys. Rev. Lett. 68, 67 (1992).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Croll, A.B., Dalnoki-Veress, K. Spreading of diblock copolymer droplets: A probe of polymer micro-rheology. Eur. Phys. J. E 29, 239–244 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2009-10474-x
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2009-10474-x