While we normally work with single-polymer hydrogels, we had the opportunity to work with the Grunlan group at Texas A&M to study their charged double-network hydrogels. These hydrogels are tough! Looking more like cartilage all the time. In this paper we present evidence that their lubrication behavior matches or exceeds that of native cartilage. Higher viscosity pushes the lubrication to the elasto-hydrodynamic regime at slower sliding speeds.

Read the full paper here: https://bit.ly/2UWmLIf