Determination of elasticity of gels by successive compression-decompression cycles

Cylindrical specimens of agar, alginate and kappa carrageenan gels (1 and 2.5%) were subjected to five successive compression-decompression cycles to pre-determined strains. The total and irrecoverable work in these cycles, and their dependence on the strain level and concentration, were characteristic of the gel type. The port ion of the irrecoverable work, which served as a measure of deviation from ideal elasticity, could not be correlated with the strength of the gels or their deformability (failure strain) or stiffness, indicating that the 'degree of elasticity' is an independent property of these gels.