Rheology articles from across Nature Portfolio

The washing processes of synthetic textiles have become one of the main sources of microplastic pollution in the oceans. Here the authors show the rational design of polydimethylsiloxane-coated nylon that releases substantially less microplastic fibres in both dry and wet conditions.

Fracture during fatigue loading is known to occur in materials for small strains, below the yield strain. Here, coarse-grain simulations of a model amorphous material reveals that the onset strain at which irreversible deformation occurs is the same for fatigue as it is for monotonic loading.

Rheology studies on vitrimers have mostly focused on their linear viscoelasticity under small deformations. Here, the authors develop a full rheological understanding of vitrimer response that spans between small deformation and large-deformation regime, and across 22 decades of effective frequency, providing clear and concise analytical expressions to assist the experimental data analysis and propose a method to deduce material parameters using Master Curves.

Understanding the flow dynamics of complex fluids requires powerful tools to visualize flow behaviors with high spatial and temporal resolution. The authors investigated the drop impact of dense colloidal suspensions using high-speed imaging, which allows for visualization of shear jamming as it occurs.

Reconstituted cytoskeleton networks linked with catch bonds display increased mechanical strength and crack resistance than those containing slip bonds, and simultaneously being more deformable, which allows for better adaptability to new mechanical environments.

For 3D printing to reach its full potential, materials should be designed to take advantage of the unique processing flows involved. In this Perspective, we explore the design rules for printable materials and articulate how 3D printing can direct and enhance the functionality of printed systems.