We describe a surface force apparatus designed to probe the rheology of a nanoconfined medium under large shear amplitudes (up to 500 μm). The instrument can be operated in closed-loop, controlling either the applied normal load or the thickness of the medium during shear experiments. Feedback control allows to greatly extend the range of confinement/shear strain attainable with the surface force apparatus. The performances of the instrument are illustrated using hexadecane as the confined medium.
Cite
@article{arxiv.0704.3015,
title = {A surface force apparatus for nanorheology under large shear strain},
author = {Lionel Bureau},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0704.3015},
year = {2011}
}