Project description
Investigating yielding in amorphous solids via novel colloidal glasses
When external forces are applied to solids lacking an ordered internal structure, these solids deform elastically. If the applied stress is large enough, they can ‘yield’, fracturing or flowing. Some do so abruptly, while others do so gradually. The mechanisms of these transitions are unknown. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the COLLY project aims to investigate this phenomenon in novel tuneable colloidal glasses controlled by their ‘volume fraction’. COLLY will use a mixture of nanoparticles and non-colloidal polymer mesogels, the latter of which shrink or swell as a function of temperature, to control the free volume available to the temperature-insensitive nanoparticles.
Objective
Upon external mechanical loading, amorphous solids initially deform elastically, but for large enough applied stress they may fracture or flow as a plastic fluid. This transition, known as yielding, is one of the most fascinating open problems in condensed matter statistical physics. In fact, the exact nature of the transition is still unclear: some systems show abrupt (brittle) yielding (e.g. in oxide glasses) while others, such soft gels or foams, display ductility with a smooth and gradual increase of plastic deformation. A unique picture of the processes at play is yet missing and recent models and theories claim experimental support.
Here I will use a use a novel colloidal glass to explore the yielding transition and its properties. Colloidal glasses are controlled through their volume fraction: it plays the same role of temperature in molecular ones, but it is much more difficult to precisely tune. I will overcome this difficulty exploiting a mixture of nanoparticles and non-colloidal polymer mesogels. The mesogels swell/shrink as a function of temperature, controlling the available ‘free’ volume for the (temperature-insensitive) nanoparticles. This approach allows for an unprecedented precise control of the volume fraction in a colloidal glass without changing particle-particle interaction or their size (e.g. in microgels). The versatility of the system will be exploited to investigate plastic activity for different level of glass equilibration and external applied stresses thanks to cutting-edge experiments involving rheology, time- and space- resolved visible scattering and synchrotron-based X-ray photon correlation. These approaches will be combined to obtain a comprehensive picture of the processes at play, allowing for a ground-breaking study from inter-particle distances up to macroscopic sizes. The yielding transition will then be tackled from a new point of view, potentially elucidating its nature and confronting emerging theories.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences chemical sciences polymer sciences
- engineering and technology materials engineering amorphous solids
- engineering and technology nanotechnology nano-materials
- natural sciences physical sciences theoretical physics particle physics photons
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01
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34090 Montpellier
France
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