Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	EP/D067650/1
Title:	NSF: Fundamental Studies of Plasticity in Soft Glassy Materials
Principal Investigator:	Poon, Professor W
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:	Dr R Besseling
Project Partners:	Emory University (USA)
Department:	Sch of Physics and Astronomy
Organisation:	University of Edinburgh
Scheme:	Standard Research
Starts:	01 October 2006	Ends:	31 January 2009	Value (£):	231,096
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Complex fluids & soft solids Materials Characterisation Multiphase Flow
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Manufacturing Food and Drink
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
Soft glassy materials, such as slurries, pastes, foams and emulsions, occur widespread in nature and industry. These materials have an inherently disordered microstructure, similar to the disordered atomic configuration in more traditional glasses. These soft glasses behave as solids when left to themselves, but will flow like a liquid when a sufficiently large stress is applied, as occurs for example in toothpaste. Understanding the yielding and flow of these soft materials is of crucial importance both during industrial processing as well as for applications. While there is empirical knowledge about specific materials, little is known about the generic physical principles underlying their flow properties (known as rheology ) and how to predict these from a knowledge of material composition. This collaboration between the University of Edinburgh and Emory University aims to better understand the relation between the microscopic structure of soft glasses and their macroscopic response to stress. To that end we will use fast three-dimensional imaging of well-characterized colloidal systems under controlled flow. In addition, we will image the samples micro-structure while simultaneously measuring their stress-strain state using a rheometer . These experiments will allow us to identify generic microscopic features in the flow of soft glassy materials, and therefore provide a better overall understanding of the rheology of this class of materials.
Key Findings
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Potential use in non-academic contexts
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Impacts
Description This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk Summary Date Materialised
Sectors submitted by the Researcher
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Project URL:
Further Information:
Organisation Website:	http://www.ed.ac.uk