title: Behavior and properties of neat and filled gelatins.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the mechanical properties and the atomistic structures of various gelatin hydrogels as a preliminary to using these in bioengineering applications. The hydrogels were investigated as neat materials and as particulate-reinforced composites both in the as-formed state and following cross-linking with formaldehyde and/or glutaraldehyde. The compressive modulus obtained using alumina particulates as the reinforcement was found to be enhanced significantly more than expected on the basis of considering a gel matrix to be similar to a thermoplastic one. From the electron paramagnetic resonance of a Cu(2+) probe ion implanted in these materials it was determined that the variation in the compressive moduli with Bloom indices results from a gradation in the relative weightings of two discrete coordination configurations. The cross-linking led to different coordinations following the formaldehyde vs. the glutaraldehyde treatments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Gebze Institute of Technology, Kocaeli, Turkey 41400.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Usta
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Piech
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: MacCrone
authors.forename: W B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Hillig
mesh_terms: D000537:Aluminum Oxide; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D004578:Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy; D005557:Formaldehyde; D005780:Gelatin / Q000737:chemistry*; D005976:Glutaral; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000737:chemistry; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008422:Materials Testing
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D020100:Hydrogels; D005557:Formaldehyde; D005780:Gelatin; D000537:Aluminum Oxide; D005976:Glutaral