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Solvent control of crack dynamics in a reversible hydrogel

Nature Materials volume 5, pages 552–555 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

The resistance to fracture of reversible biopolymer hydrogels is an important control factor of the textural characteristics of food gels1 (such as gummy candies and aspic preparations). It is also critical for their use in tissue engineering, for which mechanical protection of encapsulated components is needed2,3. Its dependence on loading rate4 and, recently, on the density and strength of crosslinks3 has been investigated. But, so far, no attention has been paid to solvent or to environment effects. Here we report a systematic study of crack dynamics in gels of gelatin in water/glycerol mixtures. We show in this model system that increasing solvent viscosity slows down cracks; moreover soaking with solvent markedly increases gel fragility; finally tuning the viscosity by adding a miscible liquid affects crack propagation through diffusive invasion of the crack tip vicinity. The results highlight the fact that fracture occurs by viscoplastic chain pull-out. This mechanism, as well as the related phenomenology, should be common to all reversibly crosslinked (physical) gels.

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Figure 1: Velocity of a stable crack propagating in the mid-plane of a long plate.
Figure 2: Influence of solvent viscosity on the fracture energy .
Figure 3: Effect of tip homo-wetting.
Figure 4: Effect of tip hetero-wetting by a less viscous solvent.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. INSP, Université Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris 6, Université Denis Diderot-Paris 7, CNRS, UMR 7588 Campus Boucicaut, 140 rue de Lourmel, 75015, Paris, France

    Tristan Baumberger, Christiane Caroli & David Martina

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  1. Tristan Baumberger
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  2. Christiane Caroli
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  3. David Martina
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Correspondence to Tristan Baumberger.

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Baumberger, T., Caroli, C. & Martina, D. Solvent control of crack dynamics in a reversible hydrogel. Nature Mater 5, 552–555 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat1666

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