Effect of microstructure on fatigue properties of hyperelastic materials

Homogenization is a technique for the analysis of complex materials by replacing them with equivalent homogeneous materials that exhibit similar properties. By constructing a three-dimensional (3D) porous material model and employing homogenization technique, effective properties of the hydrogel pore structure were calculated. It is found that the microstructure of hyperelastic materials has considerable influence on their macroscopic mechanical properties, pores with a radius of up to 65 microns at a small strain can significantly reinforce material structure and improve its fatigue resistance. This work highlights the potential of engineering pore structures for the enhancement of mchanical properties and durability of hydrogels.