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Programming the equilibrium swelling response of heterogeneous polymeric gels

Submitted by noyco on
research
heterogeneous gels
Polymer networks
swelling

Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020768319303063?via%3Dihub

Highlights:

  • Heterogeneous gels are formed when heterogeneous polymer networks are submerged in a solvent.
  • We show that an heterogeneous microstructure, described by a spatially varying shear modulus and interaction parameter, leads to different swelling responses.
  • The influence of the microstructure is demonstrated via a few illustrative problems.
  • The proposed framework sheds light on the influence of local properties on the macroscopic behavior.
  • We provides a micro-structural design guide that can be used to program the equilibrium swelling response by appropriately distributing the heterogeneities in the polymer network.