Inhomogeneous large deformation of magneto-thermal sensitive hydrogel-based composite structures

Magneto-thermal sensitive hydrogels, created by adding magnetic nanoparticles to thermo-sensitive gel matrices, have gained attention due to their remote controlled actuation. In this study, the inhomogeneous large deformation of magneto-thermal sensitive hydrogels-based composite structures under external stimuli has been investigated. First, based on previous theoretical frameworks, we develop a new finite element approach to simulate the swelling process of magneto-thermal sensitive hydrogel by using UMAT subroutine in the commercial finite element software ABAQUS. Our approach provides more versatility in the imposition of initial conditions compared to existing models that use the UHYPER subroutine. Furthermore, the numerical case is presented to verify the model with a qualitative comparison with experiments, demonstrating its capabilities in explaining complex physical phenomena. Our results can provide a deeper insight into the mechanical mechanism of magneto-thermal sensitive hydrogels and have important implications for their potential applications in tissue engineering and other fields.