This repository contains the Excel testing data for the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) natural aging study described in the article "Effects of natural aging on hydrophilicity and mechanical properties of PDMS in various storage environments" by Shuyu Zhang and Anne Staples.
Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is a synthetic elastomer widely used in biomedical and industrial applications. Despite its widespread use, the natural evolution of its mechanical and surface properties over time remains poorly understood. In this study, we fabricated PDMS samples with base-to-curing-agent ratios from 5:1 to 30:1 and aged them for 8 weeks under six non-harsh conditions at room temperature. Contact angle measurements revealed increasing hydrophobicity with aging, with maximum increases up to 16.5°. Mechanical testing showed up to 130% increases in Young’s modulus and 60% changes in flexibility after 5 weeks. Storage in air, DI water, and mineral oil best preserved surface hydrophilicity, while DI water best maintained mechanical integrity. These results provide a framework for optimizing PDMS storage conditions in microfluidic and biomedical device applications.
Funding
Trailblazer R21 Award (#1R21EB035655), National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIH NIBIB)
Interdisciplinary Graduate Education Program in Regenerative Medicine at Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech Student Engineers’ Council
Publisher
University Libraries, Virginia TechCorresponding Author Name
Shuyu ZhangFiles/Folders in Dataset and Description
The dataset is grouped into seven zipped folders:
[Week 0 raw data contact angle] - collection of contact angle measurement datasheets for freshly fabricated PDMS samples.
[Week 2 raw data contact angle] - collection of contact angle measurement datasheets for PDMS samples aged for 2 weeks.
[Week 4 raw data contact angle] - collection of contact angle measurement datasheets for PDMS samples aged for 4 weeks.
[Week 6 raw data contact angle] - collection of contact angle measurement datasheets for PDMS samples aged for 6 weeks.
[Week 8 raw data contact angle] - collection of contact angle measurement datasheets for PDMS samples aged for 8 weeks.
[Week 0 raw data mechanical failure] - collection of tensile failure test datasheets for freshly fabricated PDMS samples.
[Week 5 raw data mechanical failure] - collection of tensile failure test datasheets for PDMS samples aged for 5 weeks.
Individual Excel files within zipped folders:
[ContactAngle_Weekx_yto1_z] - Excel spreadsheet containing raw contact angle measurement data for sample z of PDMS mixed in a base-to-curing agent ratio of y:1 and aged for x weeks. For week 0, all 24 samples of each mixing ratio are identical replicates. For data other than week 0, the storage condition is air for z=1–4, Petri dishes for z=5–8, plastic wraps for z=9–12, desiccator for z=13–16, DI water for z=17–20, and mineral oil for z=21–24.
[FailureTest_Weekx_yto1_z] - Excel spreadsheet containing raw mechanical failure test data for sample z of PDMS mixed in a base-to-curing agent ratio of y:1 and aged for x weeks. For week 0, all 24 samples of each mixing ratio are identical replicates. For week 5, the storage condition is air for z=1–4, Petri dishes for z=5–8, plastic wraps for z=9–12, desiccator for z=13–16, DI water for z=17–20, and mineral oil for z=21–24.
