Rupture of a two-dimensional alkane crystal.
We have studied the breaking of a two-dimensional alkane crystal above the disordered melt using an oscillating bubble rheometer. Surface tension changes abruptly during the expansion and contraction cycle. We postulate that this is due to rupture of the 2D crystal at grain boundaries. The magnitude of the abrupt change in surface tension decreases with a decrease in the rate of change of bubble surface area with a power law exponent of 0.8. The interfacial area formed after rupture decreases with a decrease in rate. These results provide new insights in understanding defect-mediated rupture in confined geometry.
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