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Updated: Apr 16, 2026

Controlled Strain of 3D Hydrogels under Live Microscopy Imaging
Published on: December 4, 2020
Bending a beam by a generalized ideal elastomeric gel
1Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering , University of California , San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
Abstract:
A hybrid beam with a gel layer bonded on the top of an elastic non-swellable substrate has been commonly adopted to make various sensors and actuators. Usually, different models need to be developed for the hybrid beam when different gels are used in the system. In this article, based on the generalized ideal elastomeric gel model, we formulate a unified relationship between the swelling of hydrogels and the bending curvature of the elastic beam, which is independent of specific swelling mechanisms of gels. We further illustrate that the equations derived in the article can be used to validate the ideal elastomeric gel model and measure the elasticity of polymer networks of the gels.
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