%0 Journal Article
	%A Meriem Benzarti and  Mohamed Ben Tkaya and  Cyril Pailler Mattei and  Hassan Zahouani
	%D 2011
	%J International Journal of Biotechnology and Bioengineering
	%B World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology
	%I Open Science Index 50, 2011
	%T Hair Mechanical Properties Depending on Age and Origin
	%U https://publications.waset.org/pdf/10295
	%V 50
	%X Hair is a non homogenous complex material which
can be associated with a polymer. It is made up 95% of Keratin.
Hair has a great social significance for human beings. In the High
Middle Ages, for example, long hairs have been reserved for kings
and nobles.
Most common interest in hair is focused on hair growth, hair types
and hair care, but hair is also an important biomaterial which can
vary depending on ethnic origin or on age, hair colour for example
can be a sign of ethnic ancestry or age (dark hair for Asiatic, blond
hair for Caucasian and white hair for old people in general).
In this context, different approaches have been conducted to
determine the differences in mechanical properties and characterize
the fracture topography at the surface of hair depending on its type
and its age.
A tensile testing machine was especially designed to achieve
tensile tests on hair. This device is composed of a microdisplacement
system and a force sensor whose peak load is limited to
3N. The curves and the values extracted from each experiment, allow
us to compare the evolution of the mechanical properties from one
hair to another.
Observations with a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and
with an interferometer were made on different hairs. Thus, it is
possible to access the cuticle state and the fracture topography for
each category.
	%P 66 - 72