Micromechanics of liquid-phase exfoliation of a layered 2D material

A hydrodynamic peeling model

Journal article (2020)

Authors

G. Salussolia Queen Mary University of London
Ettore Barbieri Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology
N. Pugno Edoardo Amaldi Foundation, Università di Trento, Queen Mary University of London
L. Botto Queen Mary University of London, Energy Technology - Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering
Research Group
Energy Technology (Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering) (TU Delft)
Copyright: © 2020 Giulia Salussolia, Ettore Barbieri, Nicola Maria Pugno, L. Botto
DOI
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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmps.2019.103764
Fracture 2D materials Fluid Exfoliation Peeling
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Published Date

2020

Language

English

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Faculty

Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering

Department

Process and Energy

Research Group

Energy Technology

Abstract

We present a micromechanical analysis of flow-induced peeling of a layered 2D material suspended in a liquid, for the first time accounting for realistic hydrodynamic loads. In our model, fluid forces trigger a fracture of the inter-layer interface by lifting a flexible “flap” of nanomaterial from the surface of a suspended microparticle. We show that the so far ignored dependence of the hydrodynamic load on the wedge angle produces a transition in the curve relating the critical fluid shear rate for peeling to the non-dimensional adhesion energy. For intermediate values of the non-dimensional adhesion energy, the critical shear rate saturates, yielding critical shear rate values that are drastically smaller than those predicted by a constant load assumption. Our results highlight the importance of accounting for realistic hydrodynamic loads in fracture mechanics models of liquid-phase exfoliation.