Tough Hydrogels for Load-Bearing Applications.

ABSTRACT: Tough hydrogels have emerged as a promising class of materials to target load-bearing applications, where the material has to resist multiple cycles of extreme mechanical impact. A variety of chemical interactions and network architectures are used to enhance the mechanical properties and fracture mechanics of hydrogels making them stiffer and tougher. In recent years, the mechanical properties of tough, high-performance hydrogels have been benchmarked, however, this is often incomplete as important variables like water content are largely ignored. In this review, the aim is to clarify the reported mechanical properties of state-of-the-art tough hydrogels by providing a comprehensive library of fracture and mechanical property data. First, common methods for mechanical characterization of

SUBMITTER: Petelinsek N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10966577 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature