Chemically identical gels I – under-crosslinked networks

Sun，Xingjian; Rao，Ping; He，Xitao; Yang，Canhui; Hong，Wei

2023-06-01

10.1016/j.jmps.2023.105278

Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids   Impact Factor & Quartile

0022-5096

Do materials prepared from identical compositions of constituting ingredients always exhibit similar mechanical properties? The answer is negative for most structural materials, as has been demonstrated by extensive studies on various factors such as the effects of processing and microstructures. However, the same question has seldom been addressed in the case of polymeric gels. In this work, by using a simple chemically crosslinked hydrogel as a model system, the mechanical properties, including elastic stiffness, fracture toughness, and fatigue threshold, of gels with identical chemical compositions are systematically investigated. The distinct material properties are then rationalized and quantitatively correlated to synthesis conditions and manufacture processes through scaling laws derived from basic physics. Different scaling laws are identified between samples prepared from swelling and deswelling. Extreme mechanical properties, such as the remarkable fracture energy of hydrogels prepared by deswelling from highly swollen samples, are observed and attributed to the structural characteristics of the polymer network, and further correlated to the synthesis processes. This study provides insights into the synthesis-property correlations of polymeric gels, which may have profound influences on the design of new polymeric materials and their applications in various fields.

Chemical composition Chemical gels Fracture energy Modulus Scaling law Swelling

English

First ; Corresponding

National Natural Science Foundation of China[11972015];

ENGINEERING

2-s2.0-85151521532

Scopus

Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Soft Mechanics & Smart Manufacturing Department of Mechanics and Aerospace Engineering,Southern University of Science and Technology,Shenzhen,518055,China

Sun，Xingjian,Rao，Ping,He，Xitao,等. Chemically identical gels I – under-crosslinked networks[J]. Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids,2023,175.

Sun，Xingjian,Rao，Ping,He，Xitao,Yang，Canhui,&Hong，Wei.(2023).Chemically identical gels I – under-crosslinked networks.Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids,175.

Sun，Xingjian,et al."Chemically identical gels I – under-crosslinked networks".Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids 175(2023).