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Related Concept Videos

Fatigue01:21

Fatigue

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Fatigue occurs when materials rupture under repeated or fluctuating loads, even at stress levels far below their static breaking strength. It typically results in brittle failure, even for ductile materials. It is a critical consideration in designing machines and structural components subjected to repetitive or varying loads. The nature of these loadings can range from fluctuating loads like unbalanced pump impellers causing vibrations to repeatedly bending a thin steel rod wire back and forth...
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Muscle fatigue refers to the decline in a muscle's ability to maintain the force of contraction after prolonged activity. It primarily stems from changes within muscle fibers. Even before experiencing muscle fatigue, one may feel tired and have the urge to stop the activity. This response, known as central fatigue, occurs due to changes in the central nervous system, namely the brain and spinal cord. While there is no single mechanism that induces fatigue, it may serve as a protective...
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Fatigue, in the context of materials science and engineering, refers to the weakening or failure of a material caused by repeatedly applied loads, even if these loads are below the strength limit of the material. Fatigue strength in concrete is a critical property that influences its durability and longevity. Concrete can fail in two ways due to fatigue. Static fatigue or creep rupture occurs under a constant load or one that increases slowly. The other failure mode is due to cyclical or...
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Concrete's susceptibility to water absorption is due to the capillary action within the pores of its hydrated cement paste. This action draws water in, creating the need for waterproofing admixtures to prevent such penetration. The efficacy of these admixtures is contingent upon the water pressure, with variations arising from different conditions such as rain, capillary rise, or hydrostatic pressure in structures intended to hold water.
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Related Experiment Video

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The Effect of Anti-Fatigue Decoction on the Behaviors and Serological Indicators in a Central Fatigue Rat Model
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Anti-fatigue-fracture hydrogels.

Shaoting Lin1, Xinyue Liu1, Ji Liu1

  • 1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.

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|February 13, 2019
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Designing anti-fatigue-fracture hydrogels is crucial for robust devices. Introducing crystallinity significantly enhances hydrogel fatigue resistance, exceeding 1000 J/m² for polyvinyl alcohol hydrogels.

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Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Polymer Chemistry
  • Mechanical Engineering

Background:

  • Hydrogels are increasingly used in mechanical devices, necessitating improved durability under repeated stress.
  • Existing toughened hydrogels fracture under cyclic loading, exhibiting low fatigue thresholds (1-100 J/m²).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop hydrogels with enhanced resistance to fatigue fracture under cyclic mechanical loads.
  • To investigate the role of controlled crystallinity in improving hydrogel anti-fatigue properties.

Main Methods:

  • Designing hydrogels where fatigue cracks encounter fracture objects with significantly higher energy requirements.
  • Controlled introduction of crystallinity into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogels.
  • Measuring the fatigue threshold of crystalline PVA hydrogels in a swollen state.

Main Results:

  • The fatigue threshold of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogels with 18.9% crystallinity exceeded 1000 J/m².
  • Controlled crystallinity proved effective in enhancing anti-fatigue-fracture properties.

Conclusions:

  • Controlled introduction of crystallinity is a viable strategy for creating robust, anti-fatigue-fracture hydrogels.
  • This approach significantly surpasses the fatigue resistance of conventional synthetic hydrogels, enabling new applications in demanding mechanical environments.