Fig. 3: Mechanical properties of the BC-H hydrogels under compression and tension.
From: Wood hemicelluloses exert distinct biomechanical contributions to cellulose fibrillar networks
The sample names for the BC-H materials correspond to the incorporated hemicelluloses. a Graphical scheme of the compression–relaxation mechanical analysis, where Fn(N) is the normal force and h is the pellicle thickness. b Parameters for the poroelastic model in compression, where Ez is the out-of-plane modulus; HA is the aggregate modulus, which is a function of the lateral (in-plane) modulus (HA = f(EL) (see Supplementary Methods, Supplementary Eq. 1); and k is the permeability. c Compression–relaxation mechanical analyses. Values are averages from three replicates. Source data are provided as a Source Data file. d Moduli obtained from the poroelastic model (at a compression rate of 0.1). Error bars are based on SDs from two to three measurements. e Representative stress–strain curves from the tensile testing of BC-H hydrogels after compression. f Comparison between the E-modulus in tension (Eapp) and compression (Erelax at a compression rate of 0.1). Error bars correspond to SDs (n =  5–9 for tension and n = 3–4 for compression measurements). g Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of selected BC-H hydrogels after compression (at ×10 magnification). The length of the scale bar corresponds to 5 μm.
