Particle Rafts and Armored Droplets

Abstract

Particles floating at interfaces are commonly observed in nature, as well as in industrial processes. When the particles are non-Brownian particles, large deformations of the interface are created that induce long-ranged capillary interactions and lead to the formation of particle rafts with unique characteristics. In this review we discuss recent efforts in investigating particle raft formation and the role of the rafts’ own weight during dynamic clustering. Under specific conditions, these rafts can ultimately collapse and sink. When subjected to external or internal forces, the raft undergoes large deformations that test the mechanical characteristics of this interfacial composite material. It can behave as a continuous elastic sheet under compression, although its discrete nature can also trigger its fragmentation via interparticle interactions. Finally, armored droplets, drops covered by a protective shell of particles, can lose their integrity when submitted to dynamic deformations, resulting in the ejection of particles or the fracturing of the armor. Open questions to understand the properties of this material are highlighted and future research to understand the fundamental physics of particle rafts, the customization of the cluster formation, or the disassembly of this collective material is suggested.