ABAQUS finite element analysis on the mechanical properties of bilayer nanocomposite hydrogels

Hydrogels have emerged as a key research focus in biomimetic materials due to their unique solid-liquid structures and excellent biocompatibility. As a potential alternative material of human cartilage, hydrogels must exhibit both high mechanical strength and superior lubrication properties. In previous studies, we synthesized bilayer nanocomposite hydrogels incorporating dopamine-modified nanoparticles, achieving outstanding compress strength (10.86 MPa) and excellent lubrication capabilities (μ = 0.01) under high load (9 MPa). Although various experimental techniques are currently to measure the tensile strength of high water-content hydrogels and their surface strain state under shear conditions, establishing material models based on experimental data can reduce errors caused by compositional differences. It also serves as an effective approach to predict the mechanical behavior of materials. We employed ABAQUS finite element analysis (FEA) to simulate the mechanical behavior of bilayer nanocomposite hydrogels under compression and shear loads, revealing a strong strain dependency. The mechanical behavior of hydrogels can be described by Mooney-Rivlin under small deformations (strain <30 %), whereas Ogden-3 models more consistent with its stress variation trend under large deformations. Moreover, the enhanced anti-shear deformation lag of the surface-layer hydrogel contributes to reduced friction loss energy, facilitating the formation of a stable hydration layer on its surface, and thus maintain a low and stable friction coefficient (μ ∼ 0.01). These results underscore the potential of finite element simulations for systematically investigating the mechanical and lubrication properties of bilayer nanocomposite hydrogels. This study provides valuable insights into optimizing mechanical-lubrication synergy, paving the way for next-generation cartilage-mimetic hydrogel applications in biomedical engineering.