Air-encapsulating elastic mechanism of submerged Taraxacum blowballs.

ABSTRACT: In this article, we report the observation of an air-encapsulating elastic mechanism of Dandelion spherical seed heads, namely blowballs, when submerged underwater. This peculiarity seems to be fortuitous since Taraxacum is living outside water; nevertheless, it could become beneficial for a better survival under critical conditions, e.g. of temporary flooding. The scaling of the volume of the air entrapped suggests its fractal nature with a dimension of 2.782 and a fractal air volume fraction of 4.82 × 10^-2 m^0.218, resulting in nominal air volume fractions in the range of 14-23%. This aspect is essential for the optimal design of bioinspired materials made up of Dandelion-like components. The miniaturization of such components leads to an increase in the effic

SUBMITTER: Pugno MC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7933492 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature