Tensile and shearing behaviors of the particle raft

The particle raft is a two-dimensional condensed soft matter,which is composed of hydrophobic solid particles floating on a liquid surface.In this study,we have realized to conduct tension and shear experiments on the particle raft by using the self-assembled loading device.The crack initiation and propagation are observed by the camera,and the curve of the non-dimensional force with respect to the displacement is given.These experimental results have been compared with the particle flow code 3D(PFC3D)simulation,and they are in excellent agreement.It indicates that the particle raft possesses mechanical properties between solid and liquid.These findings provide some inspirations on engineering new devices and new materials at the microscale.