writer：Xing Gaoa, PiotrKus′mierczykb, ZhijunShic, ChangqingLiua, GuangYangc, Igor Sevostianovd, VadimV.Silb
keywords：Bacterial cellulosehydrogel Rheology, Fraction-exponentialoperators, Stress-relaxation test, Time-dependent behaviour
source：期刊
specific source：ScienceDirect
Issue time：2016年
Biological hydrogels,e.g.bacterialcellulose(BC)hydrogel,attractedincreasinginterestin
recent decadessincetheyshowagoodpotentialforbiomedicalengineeringasreplace-
ments ofrealtissuesthanksmainlytotheirgoodbiocompatibilityand fibrous structure.To
select potentialcandidatesforsuchapplications,acomprehensiveunderstandingoftheir
performance underapplication-relevantconditionsisneeded.Mosthydrogelsdemon-
strate time-dependentbehaviourduetothecontributionoftheirliquidphaseand
reorientation of fibres inaprocessoftheirdeformation.Toquantifysuchtime-
dependent behaviouriscrucialduetotheirexposuretocomplicatedloadingconditions
in bodyenvironment.Somehydrogel-basedbiomaterialswithamulti-layered fibrous
structure demonstrateapromiseasartificial skinandbloodvessels.Tocharacteriseand
model time-dependentbehaviourofthesemulti-layeredhydrogelsalongtheirthrough-
thickness directionistherebyofvitalimportance.Hence,aholisticstudycombining
mechanical testingandmicro-morphologicalobservationsofBChydrogelwithanalytical
modelling ofitsrelaxationbehaviourbasedonfraction-exponentialoperatorswas
performed. Theresultsshowagoodpotentialtouseafraction-exponentialmodelto
describe suchbehaviourofmulti-layeredhydrogels,especiallyatstagesofstressdecayat
low forcesandofstressequilibriumathighforces.