Purdue News PhotosPurdue News Photos
11/03-- This computer-generated series of images illustrates a surprising discovery about the formation of drops from nozzles such as those in inkjet printers. A team led by researchers at Purdue University and the University of Chicago has shown that the drops form differently when the nozzle is immersed into sticky liquids, such as honey or silicone oil, which have greater viscosity than the drop. As the drop forms, so does a long, thin threadlike attachment. If the drop is made of certain chemicals, this thin thread can be quickly solidified by exposing it, for example, to "photo-polymerizing" light. The method might be used to create fibers, wires and particles only a few nanometers wide, which could have numerous applications, from composite materials to a new class of electronics and pharmaceutical products. (Ron Suryo and Osman Basaran/Purdue University School of Chemical Engineering)
Click on Image to download a (168 K) JPEG photo. Color print, electronic transmission, and Web or ftp download available from Purdue News Service, (765) 494-2096. The story accompanying this image can be seen by clicking this link to Basaran.nanothreads
(Ron Suryo and Osman Basaran/Purdue University School of Chemical Engineering)
For more information about photographs, send e-mail to:
David Umberger
Associate Director
Purdue News Service
umberger@purdue.edu
Photo Index '02 Page.