Gas and vapor transport properties were studied in mixed matrix membranes containing elastomeric ethylene-octene copolymer (EOC or poly(ethylene-co-octene)) with three types of carbon fillers: virgin or oxidized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and carbon fibers (CFs). Helium, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, methane, and carbon dioxide were used for gas permeation rate measurements. Vapor trans...

Reconstituted collagen hydrogels are often used for in vitro studies of cell-matrix interaction and as scaffolds for tissue engineering. Understanding the mechanical and transport behaviours of collagen hydrogels is therefore extremely important, albeit difficult due to their very high water content (typically >99.5%). In the present study the mechanical behaviour of collagen hydrogels in confi...

Interfacial polymerization techniques offer a versatile route for microcapsule synthesis. We designed a microfluidic process to synthesize monodisperse polyurea microcapsules (PUMCs); the microcapsules are formed by an interfacial polymerization of isocyanate dissolved in the oil and an amine dissolved in water. We measure the mechanical properties of the capsule as well as transport properties...

Dermatan and chondroitin sulfate glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) comprise over 90% of the GAG content in ligament. Studies of their mechanical contribution to soft tissues have reported conflicting results. Measuring the transient compressive response and biphasic material parameters of the tissue may elucidate the contributions of GAGs to the viscoelastic response to deformation. The hypotheses of t...

Despite intense study over many years, the mechanisms by which water and small nonelectrolytes cross lipid bilayers remain unclear. While prior studies of permeability through membranes have focused on solute characteristics, such as size, polarity, and partition coefficient in hydrophobic solvent, we focus here on water permeability in seven single component bilayers composed of different lipi...

In volcanic regions, reliable estimates of mechanical properties for specific volcanic events such as cyclic inflation-deflation cycles by magmatic intrusions, thermal stressing, and high temperatures are crucial for building accurate models of volcanic phenomena. This study focuses on the challenge of characterizing volcanic materials for the numerical analyses of such events. To do this, we e...

The mechanical performance of cancellous bone is characterized using experiments which apply linear poroelasticity theory. It is hypothesized that the anisotropic organization of the solid and pore volumes of cancellous bone can be physically characterized separately (no deformable boundary interactive effects) within the same bone sample. Due to its spongy construction, the in vivo mechanical ...