Shape-recovering liquid breaks the laws of thermodynamics, will require new textbooks

A shapeless liquid form is something we usually take for granted. We expect fluids to spread and assume the shape of the container in which they are held. But nature sometimes defies our intuition.

In a recent study, a curious liquid refused to remain chaotic after being shaken and instead settled into a smooth, outlined shape reminiscent of a piece of classic pottery.

This strange finding was uncovered by a team that includes graduate student Anthony Raykh at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The group had been experimenting with oil and water when they noticed a shape they had never seen before.

Understanding shape-recovering liquids

Some substances pull themselves together in neat ways. Others spread out in a disorderly manner.

For centuries, thermodynamics has helped predict these behaviors by setting rules about energy and equilibrium.

Typically, adding particles to an oil-water mixture encourages the two liquids to combine more readily and form new structures.

This phenomenon is known as emulsification, and it is vital in the production of foods, cosmetics, and many other commercial products. The usual theory says that those particles should lessen the tension between oil and water.

Why magnetism matters

Raykh decided to use magnetized nickel particles in his mixture. He shook things up, and something uncanny happened.

“… in a complete surprise, the mixture formed this beautiful, pristine urn-shape,” said Raykh. He tried shaking harder, but the fluid returned to the same outline.

Lab tests hinted that strong magnetic interactions were the reason. These metallic bits were powerful enough to throw a wrench into the fluid’s normal behavior.

Magnetic forces and liquid shape

Scientists often rely on known interactions to guide their experiments. Imposing magnetic forces adds another layer of complexity.

“When you look very closely at the individual nanoparticles of magnetized nickel that form the boundary between the water and oil, you can get extremely detailed information on how different forms assemble,” said David Hoagland, professor of polymer science and engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

No one expected this intense attraction to stiffen the boundary so much that the liquids would create a neat form.

Researchers found that these dipolar pulls can drive up the tension between oil and water. This stands in contrast to what most textbooks tell us should happen.

Why does any of this matter?

A single exception to well-known rules might inspire more questions on these types of liquid forms. The next challenge is figuring out the deeper mechanisms behind these robust fluid contours.

“Imagine your favorite Italian salad dressing. It’s made up of oil, water, and spices, and before you pour it onto your salad, you shake it up so that all the ingredients mix,” said Thomas Russell, Silvio O. Conte distinguished professor of polymer science and engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

He compared his everyday culinary example to the surprising phenomenon in the lab.

The urn-like outline is stable enough to tease scientists with new ideas. Explorations of these forces could lead to fresh theories about soft materials and how they behave under powerful magnetic influences.

What it means for the laws of physics

This discovery doesn’t mean thermodynamics is broken. But it does suggest that, under specific conditions, there may be edge cases where the traditional models don’t fully apply.

Scientists call these scenarios “exceptions” rather than violations, and they help sharpen our understanding of how physical laws behave under extreme or unusual circumstances.

It’s a reminder that physical laws are models of reality, not reality itself. They hold true across vast numbers of conditions – but surprises like this urn-shaped liquid reveal that even well-tested theories can be stretched in new and useful ways.

Liquid shape and future applications

This experiment opens the door to unexpected applications in fields that involve finely tuned liquids.

Medical formulations might someday use this kind of shape control to ensure more precise delivery of components.

Researchers are now looking into how strongly magnetized particles might alter other standard chemical processes.

Scientists remain cautious about declaring any new technology from this peculiar mixture. Even so, this discovery proves that our understanding of fluid behavior can still be surprised by odd twists.

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Click here to watch a video of this phenomenon…

The study is published in Nature Physics.

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