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Soft materials hold onto “memories” of their past, for longer than previously thought
Soft materials hold onto “memories” of their past for longer than previously thought, according to MIT research. The findings could help manufacturers design gels, lotions, or paving materials that last longer and perform more predictably.
In a study appearing today in Physical Review Letters, Crystal Owens, a postdoc in MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), presents a new protocol for measuring residual stress in soft, gel-like materials, using a standard benchtop rheometer. Quality control engineers then let a sample sit for about a minute — a period of time that they assume is enough to allow any residual stresses from the mixing process dissipate. One material where she sees room for such improvement is asphalt — a substance that is first mixed, then poured in molten form over a surface where it then cools and settles over time.
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