Fabrication of Cartilage-Inspired Hydrogel/Entangled Polymer–Elastomer Structures Possessing Poro-Elastic Properties

The ability to replicate the load-bearing properties of articular cartilage is attractive for many engineering applications, particularly bearings where low friction, wear, and high durability are required. Hydrogels widely used materials spanning diverse applications owing their lubricity unique mechanical/chemical properties. poor mechanical characteristics conventional hydrogels, especially compressive behavior, limit application in despite favorable such as poro/viscoelasticity lubricity. This paper demonstrates a cartilage-inspired approach produce structure that benefits from water-swelling resistant ultrafast recovery behavior elastomers well stress-relaxation energy dissipation hydrogels. A method presented this work fabricate interconnected macro-porous based on sintering poly(methyl methacrylate) beads. porous elastomer imparted structural support resilience its composite with an infused-grafted hydrogel. At 30% strain depending upon rate, exhibited was 14–19 times greater than pristine hydrogel approximately 3 elastomer. equilibrium elastic modulus 452 kPa at range 10%–30%, which close values reported tested similar experimental parameters defined study. dissipated rates 1 10–3 s–1 enhanced by 25-, 5-, 15-fold compared elastomer, respectively. cyclic loading tests two showed immediately recovers maximum load staying above 95% initial throughout testing. permeability structures measured experimentally, results decrease orders magnitude following grafting.