Low-Cost 3D-Printed Device for Measuring Hyperelastic Properties of Polymers
Author Information
Author(s): Hemanta Dulal, Seyedhamidreza Alaie
Primary Institution: New Mexico State University
Hypothesis
Can hyperelastic materials be characterized using low-cost tools and tests that take advantage of small form-factor samples?
Conclusion
The study demonstrates a low-cost, 3D-printed test setup for characterizing hyperelastic materials with reasonable accuracy.
Supporting Evidence
- The Young’s modulus from the uniaxial tensile test was found to be less than 5% different from other work.
- Uniaxial tensile tests confirmed qualitative hyperelastic behavior of PDMS.
- The experimental data from two types of tests were used to find two-parameter Mooney–Rivlin coefficients.
- Validation of data involved the characterization of PDMS samples with sub-mm thickness.
- The setup is ideal for the characterization of thin film samples.
Takeaway
Researchers created a cheap 3D-printed device to test stretchy materials used in medical devices, showing it works well.
Methodology
The study involved developing a 3D-printed test setup and using it to perform uniaxial and planar tensile tests on PDMS samples.
Potential Biases
Potential biases may arise from the limited number of data points and the optimization choices in curve fitting.
Limitations
The accuracy of the measurements may be affected by the use of low-cost components and the challenges in curve fitting.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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