Rheometric measurement of hydrogel toughness

• Main Author: Read, Helen E.S.B.Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
• Other Authors: Gareth H. McKinley
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2020
• Subjects: Mechanical Engineering.
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/127870

Thesis: S.B., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, May, 2020 === Cataloged from the official PDF of thesis. === Includes bibliographical references (pages 11-12). === As soft physical gels become more popular due to their biological applications, there is increased interest in measuring mechanical properties such as toughness. However, traditional tensile testing methods do not work for such materials due to the intrinsic softness of the material. We present a novel method for measuring fracture energy using a rheometer and show it is broadly consistent with the pure shear test, a standard method where the material exhibits mode I fracture. This method has potential applications in characterizing a wide range of soft and transient gels. === by Helen E. Read. === S.B. === S.B. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering