A combined experimental and numerical method for tailoring the multi-scale mechanical properties of soft solid liquid composites

Cauquil, Eléonore; Kiener, Luca; Hofmann, Jonas; Spano, Fabrizio; Röhrnbauer, Barbara

doi:10.21256/zhaw-30272

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-30272

Publication type:	Conference poster
Type of review:	Peer review (abstract)
Title:	A combined experimental and numerical method for tailoring the multi-scale mechanical properties of soft solid liquid composites
Authors:	Cauquil, Eléonore Kiener, Luca Hofmann, Jonas Spano, Fabrizio Röhrnbauer, Barbara
et. al:	No
DOI:	10.21256/zhaw-30272
Conference details:	33rd Annual Conference of the European Society for Biomaterials (ESB), Davos, Switzerland, 4-8 September 2023
Issue Date:	Sep-2023
Publisher / Ed. Institution:	ZHAW Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften
Language:	English
Subjects:	Digital image correlation; Solid liquid composites; Mulit-scale mechanics; Unit cell model
Subject (DDC):	610.28: Biomedicine, biomedical engineering
Abstract:	Solid liquid composites are motivated by a variety of multi-physics applications including research in mechanobiology. From a mechanical perspective, liquid inclusions in a matrix affect both its global and local properties - the latter seen as local stiffness variations. It is known that stiffness variations in substrates are sensed by cells and incite cell migration so-called durotaxis. To investigate this complex interplay, detailed knowledge is needed on the local mechanical properties of the substrate. In this study, a combined experimental and numerical approach is proposed to characterize and tailor the local and global mechanical properties of a soft solid liquid composite. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membranes with a regular pattern of liquid inclusions of two different sizes (1.1mm, 0.5mm) were produced according to the procedure reported elsewhere. Planar tension tests were performed resulting in a biaxial state of stress, representative for loading conditions of biological membranes. After preconditioning during 9 cycles, samples were strained quasi-statically to 30% nominal strain. In addition to the global force and displacement data, local deformations were evaluated using a digital image correlation system. A numerical model based on a representative unit cell approach was built using a commercial finite element software. The unit cell was modeled as a 3D cuboid containing a spherical inclusion. For the PDMS, a Neo-Hookean material was chosen, which was fitted to test data of pure PDMS. The liquid inclusion was modeled using built-in element types. The model was validated applying both the global force response and the local deformation pattern. A numerical parameter study was performed, varying the size and density of the inclusions. The numerical model was shown to excellently reproduce both, the global force response, and the local deformation pattern (Figure). Apart from the parameter of the Neo-Hookean model, no fitting of parameters was needed resulting in a simple and robust modeling approach. The parameter study revealed the potential to tailor a wide variety of biaxial global stiffnesses (0.20-0.44 MPa) and to finetune local stiffness gradients. Current limitations are the reproducibility of the PDMS properties and the small experimental basis (n=3). However, the feasibility of the approach as well as the excellent predictive capabilities of the model have been shown. This experimental and numerical framework shall be used to investigate phenomena such as durotaxis incited by specifically tailored stiffness gradients and thus, contribute to quantitative research in mechanobiology.
URI:	https://digitalcollection.zhaw.ch/handle/11475/30272
Fulltext version:	Published version
License (according to publishing contract):	Licence according to publishing contract
Departement:	School of Engineering
Organisational Unit:	Institute of Mechanical Systems (IMES) Institute of Computational Physics (ICP)
Published as part of the ZHAW project:	Auf dem Weg zu massgeschneiderten mechanischen Eigenschaften künstlicher Gewebemodelle
Appears in collections:	Publikationen School of Engineering

Files in This Item:

File	Description	Size	Format
2023_Roehrnbauer_ESBBiomaterials-Poster.pdf		435.06 kB	Adobe PDF	View/Open

Show full item record

Cauquil, E., Kiener, L., Hofmann, J., Spano, F., & Röhrnbauer, B. (2023, September). A combined experimental and numerical method for tailoring the multi-scale mechanical properties of soft solid liquid composites. 33rd Annual Conference of the European Society for Biomaterials (ESB), Davos, Switzerland, 4-8 September 2023. https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-30272

Cauquil, E. et al. (2023) ‘A combined experimental and numerical method for tailoring the multi-scale mechanical properties of soft solid liquid composites’, in 33rd Annual Conference of the European Society for Biomaterials (ESB), Davos, Switzerland, 4-8 September 2023. ZHAW Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften. Available at: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-30272.

E. Cauquil, L. Kiener, J. Hofmann, F. Spano, and B. Röhrnbauer, “A combined experimental and numerical method for tailoring the multi-scale mechanical properties of soft solid liquid composites,” in 33rd Annual Conference of the European Society for Biomaterials (ESB), Davos, Switzerland, 4-8 September 2023, Sep. 2023. doi: 10.21256/zhaw-30272.

CAUQUIL, Eléonore, Luca KIENER, Jonas HOFMANN, Fabrizio SPANO und Barbara RÖHRNBAUER, 2023. A combined experimental and numerical method for tailoring the multi-scale mechanical properties of soft solid liquid composites. In: 33rd Annual Conference of the European Society for Biomaterials (ESB), Davos, Switzerland, 4-8 September 2023. Conference poster. ZHAW Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften. September 2023

Cauquil, Eléonore, Luca Kiener, Jonas Hofmann, Fabrizio Spano, and Barbara Röhrnbauer. 2023. “A Combined Experimental and Numerical Method for Tailoring the Multi-Scale Mechanical Properties of Soft Solid Liquid Composites.” Conference poster. In 33rd Annual Conference of the European Society for Biomaterials (ESB), Davos, Switzerland, 4-8 September 2023. ZHAW Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften. https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-30272.

Cauquil, Eléonore, et al. “A Combined Experimental and Numerical Method for Tailoring the Multi-Scale Mechanical Properties of Soft Solid Liquid Composites.” 33rd Annual Conference of the European Society for Biomaterials (ESB), Davos, Switzerland, 4-8 September 2023, ZHAW Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften, 2023, https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-30272.