{"title":"Mechanics of single-network hydrogels with network imperfection","authors":"Zhi Sheng, Siqi Yan, Jie Ma, Jiabao Bai, Zihang Shen, Zheng Jia","doi":"10.1016/j.giant.2024.100287","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Polymer network is a crucial component of hydrogels, and network imperfection is a prominent feature of polymer networks, significantly influencing the performance of hydrogels. Two essential features of network imperfection are unequal chain lengths and dangling chains, both of which have a significant impact on the mechanical properties of single-network (SN) hydrogels. However, a theoretical framework considering network imperfection in SN hydrogels is still lacking. Here, we propose a theoretical model for SN hydrogels with network imperfection to study the damage behavior during deformation, in which we adopt different chain length distributions to accurately depict the real physical characteristics of the polymer network and incorporate the normalized critical chain force for a more precise measurement of network damage. To verify our theory, we discuss the effects of model parameters on the stress-stretch responses of SN hydrogels and predict the results of uniaxial loading-unloading tests of SN hydrogels, which agree well with experimentally measured stress-stretch behaviors. Finally, we implement the constitutive model into ABAQUS as a user subroutine to study the inhomogeneous deformation of hydrogels.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":34151,"journal":{"name":"GIANT","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.4000,"publicationDate":"2024-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666542524000523/pdfft?md5=c4db0e5572150588908c21a2b39cdba8&pid=1-s2.0-S2666542524000523-main.pdf","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"GIANT","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666542524000523","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"CHEMISTRY, MULTIDISCIPLINARY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Polymer network is a crucial component of hydrogels, and network imperfection is a prominent feature of polymer networks, significantly influencing the performance of hydrogels. Two essential features of network imperfection are unequal chain lengths and dangling chains, both of which have a significant impact on the mechanical properties of single-network (SN) hydrogels. However, a theoretical framework considering network imperfection in SN hydrogels is still lacking. Here, we propose a theoretical model for SN hydrogels with network imperfection to study the damage behavior during deformation, in which we adopt different chain length distributions to accurately depict the real physical characteristics of the polymer network and incorporate the normalized critical chain force for a more precise measurement of network damage. To verify our theory, we discuss the effects of model parameters on the stress-stretch responses of SN hydrogels and predict the results of uniaxial loading-unloading tests of SN hydrogels, which agree well with experimentally measured stress-stretch behaviors. Finally, we implement the constitutive model into ABAQUS as a user subroutine to study the inhomogeneous deformation of hydrogels.
聚合物网络是水凝胶的重要组成部分,而网络不完善是聚合物网络的一个突出特征,对水凝胶的性能有重大影响。网络不完善的两个基本特征是链长不等和悬链,两者都对单网络(SN)水凝胶的机械性能有重大影响。然而,目前仍缺乏考虑单网络水凝胶中网络不完善的理论框架。我们采用不同的链长分布来准确描述聚合物网络的真实物理特性,并结合归一化临界链力来更精确地测量网络损伤。为了验证我们的理论,我们讨论了模型参数对 SN 水凝胶应力拉伸响应的影响,并预测了 SN 水凝胶单轴加载-卸载试验的结果,结果与实验测量的应力拉伸行为非常吻合。最后,我们将构成模型作为用户子程序应用到 ABAQUS 中,以研究水凝胶的不均匀变形。
期刊介绍:
Giant is an interdisciplinary title focusing on fundamental and applied macromolecular science spanning all chemistry, physics, biology, and materials aspects of the field in the broadest sense. Key areas covered include macromolecular chemistry, supramolecular assembly, multiscale and multifunctional materials, organic-inorganic hybrid materials, biophysics, biomimetics and surface science. Core topics range from developments in synthesis, characterisation and assembly towards creating uniformly sized precision macromolecules with tailored properties, to the design and assembly of nanostructured materials in multiple dimensions, and further to the study of smart or living designer materials with tuneable multiscale properties.