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.