Yielding of the particulate network in colloidal gels under applied deformation is accompanied by various microstructural changes, including rearrangement, bond rupture, anisotropy, and reformation of secondary structures. While much work has been done to understand the physical underpinnings of yielding in colloidal gels, its topological origins remain poorly understood. Here, employing a series of tools from network science, we characterize the bonds using their orientation and network centrality. We find that bonds with higher centralities in the network are ruptured the most at all applied deformation rates. This suggests that a network analysis of the particulate structure can be used to predict the failure points in colloidal gels a priori.
This content will become publicly available on May 2, 2024
- Award ID(s):
- 1847389
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10408790
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- Volume:
- 120
- Issue:
- 18
- ISSN:
- 0027-8424
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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