Deformation, orientation and bursting of microcapsules in simple shear flow: Wrinkling processes, tumbling and swinging motions

Abstract

In a series of experiments we studied the deformation and orientation behaviour of microcapsules in simple shear flow. For a large number of capsules we observed folding processes which were induced by the bending resistance, by membrane pre-stresses or the mechanical asymmetry of the surrounding viscoelastic wall materials. Periodic oscillations of the inclination angle were detected for non-spherical particles. At low shear rates a tumbling motion occurred in which the capsule turned around its axis. A swinging mode at evaluated shear rates was accompanied by tank-treading motions, a rotation of the membrane around the capsule core. Between these two well-known motions we also observed an intermittent regime.