Los investigadores finalmente han respondido a la pregunta de hace 400 años de por qué las piezas de vidrio con forma de gota (gotas del príncipe Rupert) son tan fuertes. Se ha demostrado que estos objetos, que se fabrican dejando caer gotas de vidrio fundido en agua, resisten la fuerza de una bala.
Las propiedades de las gotas del príncipe Rupert
Estas piezas de vidrio, cuya finalidad es meramente decorativa, llevan el nombre del Príncipe Rupert de Alemania. Quien durante el siglo XVII regaló algunas de ellas al Rey Carlos II de Inglaterra, interesado en sus inusuales propiedades.
La cabeza de la gota es lo suficientemente fuerte como para resistir el impacto de un martillo. Pero el extremo de la cola es tan frágil que, al doblarlo con los dedos, quebraría la pieza entera hasta convertirla en polvo.
Durante mucho tiempo, los investigadores han tratado de comprender estas cualidades, pero no fue hasta hace poco que la tecnología permitió adentrarse a detalle. En 1994 se utilizaron fotografías de encuadre de alta velocidad para observar el proceso de fractura. Se identificaron fuerzas de compresión en la superficie de la gota y fuerzas de tensión en el interior. La primera es aquella que aprieta los materiales, mientras que la segunda los separa. De esta manera, la gota se encuentra en un estado de equilibrio inestable, que puede alterarse fácilmente rompiendo la cola.
Fuente del vídeo: YouTube
A pesar de este hallazgo, quedaba una pregunta. ¿Cómo se distribuyen las tensiones a lo largo de esta composición de vidrio? Comprender esto ayudaría a explicar mejor por qué las cabezas de estas gotas son tan fuertes.
La investigación realizada y los resultados
Se llevó a cabo una investigación utilizando un polariscopio de transmisión. Un microscopio que mide experimentalmente la distribución de tensiones en un material, teniendo en cuenta el ángulo en el que se refleja un rayo de luz en cada punto de su interior.
En los experimentos, los investigadores suspendieron una de las gotas del príncipe Rupert en un líquido transparente y luego la iluminaron con un LED rojo. Midieron el retardo óptico de la luz a medida que viajaba a través del vidrio y luego usaron los datos para construir el patrón de distribución de tensión.
Descubrieron que las cabezas de las gotas tienen una resistencia a la compresión superficial mucho mayor de lo que se pensaba. Pueden soportar hasta 700 megapascales, casi 7,000 veces la presión atmosférica. Pero esta capa superficial de compresión también es delgada, aproximadamente el 10% del diámetro de la cabeza de la gota.
Los investigadores concluyeron que estas características dan a la cabeza de gota una resistencia a la fractura muy alta y, para romperla, debe crearse una grieta en la zona de tensión interior. Algo imposible debido a que las grietas tienden a crecer paralelas a la superficie. Entonces, la forma más fácil de destruirla es impactando su cola. Esto ha resuelto por fin el enigma de las gotas del príncipe Rupert.
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