Fractional rheology as a tool for modeling viscoelasticity in cellulose-based hydrogels

Abstract

Cellulose-based hydrogels are soft solids that have complex structures with multiple length and time scales. Their intricate structures reflect macroscopically in rheological behaviors that cannot be described by phenomenological or canonical models based on springs and dashpots. To address this issue, this paper describes the intersection of fractional rheology, cellulose, and hydrogels, offering insights into their synergistic relationship. This paper proposes using fractional rheology to analyze the non-linear and dynamic properties of cellulose-based hydrogels. Fractional rheology provides a compact and efficient mathematical framework for characterizing the complex viscoelastic behavior of materials. This work demonstrates how fractional analysis can fine-tune the mechanical properties of cellulose-based hydrogels and proposes a standardized methodology to describe their linear viscoelastic response effectively.