Relaxation of a fluid-filled blister on a porous substrate

We study the relaxation dynamics of a fluid-filled blister between an elastic sheet and a porous substrate using laboratory experiments and a mathematical model. The dynamics are controlled by the deformation of the elastic sheet, the viscous stresses in the pores, and the capillary pressure at the liquid-air interface due to imbibition. We identify two regimes of drainage, where for thick sheets and more permeable substrates, drainage is primarily due to the stresses in the deformed elastic sheet, and for thin sheets and less permeable substrates, drainage is driven by the imbibition of the liquid into the pore space.