Computational and Experimental Strategies for Investigating Failure in Emerging Soft-Wet Materials

摘要本文详细介绍了一系列旨在提高软湿材料失效力学现有科学知识水平的研究活动。实验旨在提供细粒度的微观破坏过程研究以及粗粒度的信息，如断裂韧性和缺陷演变。这项工作的智力价值源于刺激反应水凝胶的独特性质和拟议调查的性质。尽管许多软湿材料具有巨大的潜力，但考虑到聚合物网络结构和交联密度的作用，探测其失效的综合测量仍然缺失。该项目的广泛影响与生物医学和驱动技术的巨大增长潜力有关，这些技术可能受益于刺激反应水凝胶。来自代表性不足群体的工程研究生将执行大部分拟议的研究。

AbstractThis proposal details a set of research activities designed to advance the present level of scientific knowledge in the mechanics of soft-wet material failure. Experiments have been designed to provide both fine-grained micro-scale investigations of failure processes as well as coarse-grained information such as fracture toughness and flaw evolution. The intellectual merit of this work stems from the unique properties of stimulus-responsive hydrogels and the nature of the proposed investigation. Despite the tremendous potential of many soft-wet materials, comprehensive measurements that probe their failure, that consider the role of polymer network structure and cross-link density, are missing. The broader impacts of this project are related to the tremendous growth potential of biomedical and actuation technologies that could benefit from stimulus-responsive hydrogels. Engineering graduate students from under-represented groups will perform the majority of the proposed research.