Advanced Materials, Vol.15, No.14, 1155-1155, 2003
Double-network hydrogels with extremely high mechanical strength
Very strong hydrogels (with a fracture strength of some tens of MPa), as required for both industrial and biomedical applications, have been generated by inducing a double-network (DN) structure for various combinations of hydrophilic polymers. The Figure shows a hydrogel before, during, and after application of a fracture stress of 17.2 MPa.