The determination of fracture properties of hydrogels is of great importance while the hydrogel is used as medical scaffold or soft robotic. The simulations of the mechanical properties were used to reduce the experiment cost and improve efficiency. Here, the work presents a novel method to simulate the fracture behaviour of hydrogels based on discrete element method. Different with continuous methods, the hydrogel was characterised by number of particles. The viscoelastic model and bonding model within the particle model were applied to simulate the microscopic structure of hydrogels. By changing the critical parameters in the model, hydrogels with different mechanical properties were also simulated. Puncture compression test and uniaxial tensile test based on the model were performed. The fracture morphology, stress and strain during the tests were simulated. The results show that the model provides a novel and effective tool to simulate the fracture process of hydrogels.

References

1. 1)
  - 6. Zolfagharian, A., Kouzani, A.Z., Khoo, S.Y., et al: ‘Development and analysis of a 3D printed hydrogel soft actuator’, Sens. Actuators A, Phys., 2017, 265, pp. 94–101 (doi: 10.1016/j.sna.2017.08.038).
2. 2)
  - 1. Kim, S., Laschi, C., Trimmer, B.: ‘Soft robotics: a bioinspired evolution in robotics’, Trends in Biotechnology, 2013, 31, pp. 287–294 (doi: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2013.03.002).
3. 3)
  - 13. Sanchez Fellay, L., Fasce, L.A., Czerner, M., et al: ‘On the feasibility of identifying first order Ogden constitutive parameters of gelatin gels from flat punch indentation tests’, Soft Mater., 2015, 13, (4), pp. 188–200 (doi: 10.1080/1539445X.2015.1059346).
4. 4)
  - 7. Oyen, M.L.: ‘Mechanical characterisation of hydrogel materials’, Int. Mater. Rev., 2014, 59, (1), pp. 44–59 (doi: 10.1179/1743280413Y.0000000022).
5. 5)
  - 14. Chiou, B.-S., Avena-Bustillos, R.J., Shey, J., et al: ‘Rheological and mechanical properties of cross-linked fish gelatins’, Polymer (Guildf), 2006, 47, (18), pp. 6379–6386 (doi: 10.1016/j.polymer.2006.07.004).
6. 6)
  - 11. Donzé, F.V., Richefeu, V., Magnier, S.-A.: ‘Advances in discrete element method applied to soil, rock and concrete mechanics’, Electron. J. Geotech. Eng., 2009, 8, pp. 1–44.
7. 7)
  - 8. Czerner, M., Fasce, L.A., Martucci, J.F., et al: ‘Deformation and fracture behavior of physical gelatin gel systems’, Food Hydrocolloids, 2016, 60, pp. 299–307 (doi: 10.1016/j.foodhyd.2016.04.007).
8. 8)
  - 5. Ni, Y., Tang, Z., Cao, W., et al: ‘Tough and elastic hydrogel of hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate as potential cell scaffold materials’, Int. J. Biol. Macromol., 2015, 74, pp. 367–375 (doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2014.10.058).
9. 9)
  - 12. Tran, V.T., Donzé, F.V., Marin, P.: ‘A discrete element model of concrete under high triaxial loading’, Cement Concrete Compos., 2011, 33, pp. 936–948 (doi: 10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2011.01.003).
10. 10)
  - 9. Sun, J.-Y., Zhao, X., Illeperuma, W.R.K., et al: ‘Highly stretchable and tough hydrogels’, Nature, 2012, 489, (7414), pp. 133–136 (doi: 10.1038/nature11409).
11. 11)
  - 4. Palleau, E., Morales, D., Dickey, M.D., et al: ‘Reversible patterning and actuation of hydrogels by electrically assisted ionoprinting’, Nat. Commun., 2013, 4, p. 2257 (doi: 10.1038/ncomms3257).
12. 12)
  - 2. Tibbitt, M.W., Anseth, K.S.: ‘Hydrogels as extracellular matrix mimics for 3D cell culture’, 2009, 103, pp. 655–663.
13. 13)
  - 3. Huang, H.W., Sakar, M.S., Petruska, A.J., et al: ‘Soft micromachines with programmable motility and morphology’, Nat. Commun., 2016, 7, p. 12263 (doi: 10.1038/ncomms12263).
14. 14)
  - 15. Hayakawa, F., Kazami, Y., Ishihara, S., et al: ‘Characterization of eating difficulty by sensory evaluation of hydrocolloid gels’, Food Hydrocolloids, 2014, 38, pp. 95–103 (doi: 10.1016/j.foodhyd.2013.11.007).
15. 15)
  - 10. Abbasnia1, R., Aslami, M.: ‘Numerical simulation of concrete fracture under compression by explicit discrete element method’, Int. J. Civ. Eng., 2015, 13, (3), pp. 245–254.

Simulation of fracture behaviour of hydrogel by discrete element method

References

Related content