Flow velocity-dependent transition of anisotropic crack patterns in CaCO$_3$ pastes

Abstract

We investigate the desiccation crack patterns on the surface of a drying paste made of calcium carbonate (CaCO$_3$) powder and distilled water. Forced vibration of the CaCO$_3$ paste prior to drying results in an anisotropic crack pattern, in which many long cracks develop along a specific preferred direction. We reveal that the preferred direction changes from perpendicular to parallel to the vibration direction at the threshold velocity of vibration. The transition is attributed to the reorientation of constituent particles subjected to the forced oscillatory flow of fluid in the paste.