Rotating tensiometer for the measurement of the elastic modulus of deformable particles

Abstract

In a spinning drop tensiometer, the interfacial tension between two immiscible liquids can be inferred from the equilibrium shape of a drop suspended in a rotating medium. Similarly, an analytical solution is derived for the deformation dynamics of an initially spherical elastic particle suspended in a denser viscous rotating liquid. This gives a proof of concept for a rotating tensiometer for the measurement of the mechanical properties of soft solid beads. Direct numerical simulations are used to validate the theory and identify its limits of applicability.