Visco-elasticity of swollen hydrogels during phase transition

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I propose to investigate the interplay of swelling/de-swelling dynamics and rheology of hydrogels. My focus is pointed to the transition behavior (near VPT). Rheological measurements will be performed at intermediate states, e.g. after cross-linking of the samples near VPT and at intermediate states of swelling. Data will be abstracted into a constitutive equation for the stress in hydrogels which we propose here. Hydrogels have been chosen because of their great technical importance in a wide range of applications. However, hydrogels are also considered as model materials for soft polymeric solids near the gel point. A highlight of our work should be a universal relation of rheological material parameters to structure of soft matter (hydrogels).