Year: 2023
Type: article
Abstract: A cross-linked polymer network immersed in a solvent will absorb molecules from its surroundings, leading to transient swelling. Under the constraint of a semi-permeable membrane, the system will swell less and generate a larger internal pressure in return, a system rarely analyzed to date. We use a nonlinear poroelastic theory to model the kinetics of swelling under mechanical constraint. We find the simulation results agree well with our experimental data using hydrogel beads made of a mixture of 3-sulfopropyl acrylate potassium salt and acrylamide, bathed in water. Understanding and predicting the response speed and the actuation stress developed during the swelling of constrained hydrogels can guide the design of polymer-based soft actuators with unusually high strength.
Source: Soft Matter
DOI: 10.1039/d3sm01228j
Authors: Théotime Cano, Hyeonuk Na, Jeong-Yun Sun, Ho-Young Kim
Institutions: Seoul National University, Mines Saint-Étienne
Language: English
Subfield: Mechanical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Awards: G1409533355, G2311197643
OpenAlex ID: W4388569602