Crystallisation in a granular material

The athermal and dissipative nature of packings of grains is still challenging our understanding of their compaction as well as their crystallisation. For instance, some beads poured in a container get jammed in random disordered con gurations, which cannot be denser than 64%, the random closed packing (RCP) limit. Remarkably it has been suggested that the RCP bound is saturated with dense patterns of beads aggregated into polytetrahedral structures. Yet when a suitable vibration is applied, a packing of beads might start to order and some regular patterns appear. We present new experiments on the crystallisation of the packing of beads. By extending tapping techniques, we have obtained packings with volume fractions φ ranging from the RCP to the crystal (φ = 0.74). Computing tomography has been used to scan the internal structure of large packings (≈200,000 beads). Voronoi and Delaunay space partitions on the grain centres were performed to characterise the structural rearrangements during the crystallisation. This allows us to describe statistical properties of the local volume uctuations and the evolution of the densest patterns of beads. In terms of statistical description, a parameter based on the volume uctuations discloses different regimes during the transition. In terms of geometry, we con rm that polytetrahedral dense clusters are ubiquitous at the RCP. We describe some intrinsic features of these clusters such as rings of tetrahedra and show how they disappear as the crystal grows. This experiment enlightens how an athermal system jammed in a complex frustrated con guration is gradually converted into a periodic crystal

Mechanics of disordered auxetic metamaterials

Auxetic materials are of great engineering interest not only because of their fascinating negative Poisson's ratio, but also due to the possibility to increase by design the toughness and indentation resistance. The general understanding of auxetic materials comes often from ordered or periodic structures, while auxetic materials used in applications are typically strongly disordered. Yet, the effect of disorder in auxetics has rarely been investigated. Here, we provide a systematic theoretical and experimental study of the effect of disorder on the mechanical properties of a paradigmatic two-dimensional auxetic lattice with a re-entrant hexagonal geometry. We show that disorder has a marginal effect on the Poisson's ratio until the point when the lattice topology becomes altered, and in all cases examined disorder preserves the auxetic characteristics. Depending on the direction of loading applied to these disordered auxetic lattices, either brittle or ductile failure is observed. It is found that brittle failure is associated with a disorder-dependent tensile strength, whereas in ductile failure disorder does not affect strength. Our work thus provides general guidelines to design and optimize elasticity and strength of disordered auxetic metamaterials

Mechanical characterization of partially crystallized sphere packings

We study grain-scale mechanical and geometrical features of partially crystallized packings of frictional spheres, produced experimentally by a vibrational protocol. By combining x-ray computed tomography, 3D image analysis, and discrete element method simulations, we have access to the 3D structure of internal forces. We investigate how the network of mechanical contacts and intergranular forces change when the packing structure evolves from amorphous to near perfect crystalline arrangements. We compare the behavior of the geometrical neighbors (quasicontracts) of a grain to the evolution of the mechanical contacts. The mechanical coordination number Zm is a key parameter characterizing the crystallization onset. The high fluctuation level of Zm and of the force distribution in highly crystallized packings reveals that a geometrically ordered structure still possesses a highly random mechanical backbone similar to that of amorphous packings

Metamaterial architecture from a self-shaping carnivorous plant

As meticulously observed and recorded by Darwin, the leaves of the carnivorous plant Drosera capensis L. slowly fold around insects trapped on their sticky surface in order to ensure their digestion. While the biochemical signaling driving leaf closure has been associated with plant growth hormones, how mechanical forces actuate the process is still unknown. Here, we combine experimental tests of leaf mechanics with quantitative measurements of the leaf microstructure and biochemistry to demonstrate that the closure mechanism is programmed into the cellular architecture of D. capensis leaves, which converts a homogeneous biochemical signal into an asymmetric response. Inspired by the leaf closure mechanism, we devise and test a mechanical metamaterial, which curls under homogeneous mechanical stimuli. This kind of metamaterial could find possible applications as a component in soft robotics and provides an example of bio-inspired design

Introduction and comparison of measurement methods of antifungal properties of lactic acid bacteria in cheese

Various laboratory methods have been developed to evaluate the effectiveness of anti-mould effect of lactic acid bacteria. However, most of these investigations have been conducted in culture medium. Due to the occurrence of complex interaction between food components and antimicrobial substances produced by lactic acid bacteria, the result achieved from these studies may be different from those seen in food model. In various studies growth inhibition of molds on the surface of foods are considered as antifungal activity. Consequently, introduction and comparison of efficient methods for evaluation of anti-mould effect of lactic acid bacteria would be helpful. In this study, antifungal activity of lactic acid bacteria inoculated in cheese was estimated using Microdilution method. Pieces of cheese samples were overlaid with molds and the antifungal effect of this bacteria was studied against Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. All three methods showed the effectiveness of lactic bacteria on mold inhibition. Comparison of the results showed that there was significant positive correlation between antifungal overlay assay and direct growth of mold on cheese, since this two test showed antifungal effect in the same way including interaction between bacteria and mold and also producing antifungal compound

Structural and mechanical features of the order-disorder transition in experimental hard-sphere packings

Here we present an experimental and numerical investigation on the grain-scale geometrical and mechanical properties of partially crystallized structures made of macroscopic frictional grains. Crystallization is inevitable in arrangements of monosized hard spheres with packing densities exceeding Bernal's limiting density φBernal≈0.64. We study packings of monosized hard spheres whose density spans over a wide range (0.59<φ<0.72). These experiments harness x-ray computed tomography, three-dimensional image analysis, and numerical simulations to access precisely the geometry and the 3D structure of internal forces within the sphere packings. We show that clear geometrical transitions coincide with modifications of the mechanical backbone of the packing both at the grain and global scale. Notably, two transitions are identified at φBernal≈0.64 and φc≈0.68. These results provide insights on how geometrical and mechanical features at the grain scale conspire to yield partially crystallized structures that are mechanically stable