Parametric dependence studies on cracking of clay

We have studied the shrinkage-crack patterns formed in the process of drying of clay/water slurries employing simple laboratory experiments. Both isotropic and directional drying was studied. The objective has been to examine the correlation between the solvent, materials parameters and the crack patterns. Attempt is made to fit the observations to specific models. The dynamics of the pattern formation process and the geometric properties of the crack patterns are found to be in conformity with the hydrodynamic model by Lee and Routh [W.P. Lee, A.F. Routh, Langmuir 20 (2004) 9887].