Creation of tissue-mimicking constructs is of great importance in the field of biomedical engineering.
Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) is a biomaterial capable of simulating a wide range of geometries and mechanical
properties of biological tissues. It is non-toxic, biocompatible, and easy to produce. PVA can be physically
cross-linked by repeated cycles of freezing and thawing. The final product of this process is called PVA
cryogel (PVA-C). The mechanical properties of PVA-C can be accurately controlled by changing PVA
molecular weight, PVA concentration, and number and duration of freeze/thaw cycles (FTC). In this study,
the stress-strain behavior of PVA cryogel was studied for different strain ranges using various laboratory
tests (unconfined compression, uniaxial extension, cylindrical indentation and torsional vibration). The
results of the experimental indentation work are reported with supporting finite element numerical
modelling. This has provided greater understanding of the effects of sample boundary conditions on the
observed results and provided calibrated hyperelastic constitutive relationships for the PVA-C materials
used. Comparison of the mechanical behavior of PVA-C with other tests reported in the literature for a
range of biological tissues suggest that the formulations of PVA-C investigated would be possible tissue
mimics for a number of materials.