The study predicts when paint, clay, milk, and blood will crack

• Researchers from the Raman Research Institute (RRI) in Bengaluru have discovered a way to delay the onset of cracks in paint coatings.

• Cracks are a complex phenomenon, formed when new cracks meet an older one at an angle of 120o, except in a thin layer of drying paint.

• The study examined how the elasticity of clay changed as it dried, slowly changing from a flowing liquid to a thick yet soft solid to a brittle sheet.

• The researchers discovered a relationship between the elasticity of clay and how quickly cracks emerged in it.

• They concluded that they could predict when cracks would develop based on the initial thickness of the sample and its elasticity.

• They were able to do this by mixing different additives into the clay.

• The researchers found that adding a food additive called tetrasodium pyrophosphate (TSPP) to paint on a building undergoes changes in temperature and humidity daily.

• The findings could be applied to make paint coatings resistant to cracks, as manufacturers generally add clay to their paints and coating liquids to give them a thicker consistency.

• The study could also be applied to how old paintings have been restored over time, as such paintings develop a network of fine cracks over time called the craquelure.

• The researchers plan to perform controlled experiments in which they vary these parameters and study how the formation of cracks changes accordingly.