We Know Simple Fluids Can Flow. Turns Out, Some Can Fracture

Researchers at Drexel University discovered that simple, non-elastic fluids can fracture under stress, a phenomenon previously thought to occur only in elastic complex fluids. When a hydrocarbon blend was stretched at high speeds, it snapped apart like brittle glass rather than flowing like typical viscous liquids, challenging scientists' understanding of fluid behavior. The findings suggest that viscosity alone doesn't explain how fluids deform under extreme conditions.