Reinforcing hydrogels with <i>in situ</i> formed amorphous CaCO<sub>3</sub>
Huachuan Du, Tianyu Yuan, Ran Zhao, Matteo Hirsch, Michael R. Kessler, Esther Amstad
Abstract
We introduce hydrogels within which we form CaCO 3 in situ to achieve a homogeneous distribution of the mineral. We demonstrate that the mechanical reinforcement is much higher if CaCO 3 is amorphous compared to any of its crystalline polymorphs.
Topics & Concepts
Self-healing hydrogelsToughnessStiffnessMaterials scienceAmorphous solidLoad bearingIn situChemical engineeringComposite materialChemistryPolymer chemistryCrystallographyOrganic chemistryEngineeringCalcium Carbonate Crystallization and InhibitionHydrogels: synthesis, properties, applicationsCephalopods and Marine Biology