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Viscoelastic fluid description of bacterial biofilm material properties
Author(s) -
Klapper I.,
Rupp C. J.,
Cargo R.,
Purvedorj B.,
Stoodley P.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
biotechnology and bioengineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.136
H-Index - 189
eISSN - 1097-0290
pISSN - 0006-3592
DOI - 10.1002/bit.10376
Subject(s) - viscoelasticity , biofilm , stress relaxation , constitutive equation , deformation (meteorology) , relaxation (psychology) , mechanics , materials science , flow (mathematics) , physics , creep , thermodynamics , composite material , geology , bacteria , biology , finite element method , paleontology , neuroscience
A mathematical model describing the constitutive properties of biofilms is required for predicting biofilm deformation, failure, and detachment in response to mechanical forces. Laboratory observations indicate that biofilms are viscoelastic materials. Likewise, current knowledge of biofilm internal structure suggests modeling biofilms as associated polymer viscoelastic systems. Supporting experimental results and a system of viscoelastic fluid equations with a linear Jeffreys viscoelastic stress–strain law are presented here. This system of equations is based on elements of associated polymer physics and is also consistent with presented and previous experimental results. A number of predictions can be made. One particularly interesting result is the prediction of an elastic relaxation time on the order of a few minutes—biofilm disturbances on shorter time scales produce an elastic response, biofilm disturbances on longer time scales result in viscous flow, i.e., nonreversible biofilm deformation. Although not previously recognized, evidence of this phenomenon is in fact present in recent experimental results. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 80: 289–296, 2002.