Magnetic micromethod to measure Young's modulus of protein crystals and other polymer materials

A new micromethod has been developed to measure the elastic modulus of polymer materials. It is based on measurements of bending of a polymer sample in a periodic uneven magnetic field acting on a small permanent magnet attached to the sample free end. As compared to the other methods known, it combines simplicity of resonant methods with a possibility to perform measurements at different frequencies in liquids under normal and high pressures. The method is specifically designed to measure the temperature dependence of cross-linked protein crystals under different conditions.