Chemo-Electro-Mechanical Modeling of pH-Sensitive Hydrogels

Hydrogels are viscoelastic active materials. They consist of a polymer network with bound charges and a liquid phase with mobile anions and cations. In water based solutions these gels show large swelling capabilities under the influence of different possible stimulation types, such as chemical, electrical or thermal stimulation. In the present work a coupled chemo-electro-mechanical formulation for polyelectrolyte gels using the Finite Element Method (FEM) is applied. In addition to the three given fields, the dissociation reactions of the bound charges in the gel are considered. Thus, we are able to model and simulate pH-stimulation and to give the different ion concentrations, the electric potential and the mechanical displacement. Depending on the initial conditions and the dissociation ratio, different kinds of stimulation cycles can be simulated. Concluding, the developed model is applicable for chemical stimulation and can model both, hydrogel actuators and sensors.