On stress-based piecewise elasticity for limited strain extensibility materials

A one-dimensional stress-based elasticity model with limited strain extensibility is developed in this paper, based on thermodynamics arguments. Such nonlinear elastic models can be used to model certain rubber-like and biological materials with limiting chain extensibility. The derived constitutive function is a non-smooth piecewise expression, which can be regularized for numerical or physical considerations. This non-smooth constitutive expression is derived from a Gibbs potential. A three-dimensional extension of this stress-based model is also proposed in the paper. Some simple structural examples are investigated for a bar composed of this non-smooth elastic body. A homogeneous bar composed of this new class of nonlinear elastic material that is loaded is studied for different tension states, namely for concentrated or distributed axial loading. It is shown that the displacement limit extensibility can be observed at the structural scale, with finite or infinite axial load parameters.     

Constitutive modeling and the trousers test for fracture of rubber-like materials

The classical constitutive modeling of incompressible hyperelastic materials such as vulcanized rubber involves strain-energy densities that depend on the first two invariants of the strain tensor. The most well-known of these is the Mooney-Rivlin model and its specialization to the neo-Hookean form. While each of these models accurately predicts the mechanical behavior of rubber at moderate stretches, they fail to reflect the severe strain-stiffening and effects of limiting chain extensibility observed in experiments at large stretch. In recent years, several constitutive models that capture the effects of limiting chain extensibility have been proposed. Here we confine attention to two such phenomenological models. The first, proposed by Gent in 1996, depends only on the first invariant and involves just two material parameters. Its mathematical simplicity has facilitated the analytic solution of a wide variety of basic boundary-value problems. A modification of this model that reflects dependence on the second invariant has been proposed recently by Horgan and Saccomandi. Here we discuss the stress response of the Gent and HS models for some homogeneous deformations and apply the results to the fracture of rubber-like materials. Attention is focused on a particular fracture test, namely the trousers test where two legs of a cut specimen are pulled horizontally apart. It is shown that the cut position plays a key role in the fracture analysis, and that the effect of the cut position depends crucially on the constitutive model employed. For stiff rubber-like or biological materials, it is shown that the influence of the cut position is diminished. In fact, for linearly elastic materials, the critical driving force for fracture is independent of the cut position. It is also shown that the limiting chain extensibility models predict finite fracture toughness as the cut position approaches the edge of the specimen whereas classical hyperelastic models predict unbounded toughness in this limit. The results are relevant to the structural integrity of rubber components such as vibration isolators, vehicle tires, earthquake bearings, seals and flexible joints.     

Constitutive Models for Compressible Nonlinearly Elastic Materials with Limiting Chain Extensibility

Constitutive models are proposed for compressible isotropic hyperelastic materials that reflect limiting chain extensibility. These are generalizations of the model proposed by Gent for incompressible materials. The goal is to understand the effects of limiting chain extensibility when the compressibility of polymeric materials is taken into account. The basic homogeneous deformation of simple tension is considered and simple closed-form relations for the deformation characteristics are obtained for slightly compressible materials. An explicit first-order approximation is obtained for the lateral contraction and for the Poisson function in terms of the axial extension which is shown to be valid for each of two specific compressible versions of the Gent model. One of the main results obtained is that the effect of limiting chain extensibility is to stiffen the material relative to the neo-Hookean compressible case. Mathematics Subject Classifications (2000) 74B20, 74G55.     

A new constitutive theory for fiber-reinforced incompressible nonlinearly elastic solids

We consider an incompressible nonlinearly elastic material in which a matrix is reinforced by strong fibers, for example fibers of nylon or carbon aligned in one family of curves in a rubber matrix. Rather than adopting the constraint of fiber inextensibility as has been previously assumed in the literature, here we develop a theory of fiber-reinforced materials based on the less restrictive idea of limiting fiber extensibility. The motivation for such an approach is provided by recent research on limiting chain extensibility models for rubber. Thus the basic idea of the present paper is simple: we adapt the limiting chain extensibility concept to limiting fiber extensibility so that the usual inextensibility constraint traditionally used is replaced by a unilateral constraint. We use a strain-energy density composed with two terms, the first being associated with the isotropic matrix or base material and the second reflecting the transversely isotropic character of the material due to the uniaxial reinforcement introduced by the fibers. We consider a base neo-Hookean model plus a special term that takes into account the limiting extensibility in the fiber direction. Thus our model introduces an additional parameter, namely that associated with limiting extensibility in the fiber direction, over previously investigated models. The aim of this paper is to investigate the mathematical and mechanical feasibility of this new model and to examine the role played by the extensibility parameter. We examine the response of the proposed models in some basic homogeneous deformations and compare this response to those of standard models for fiber reinforced rubber materials. The role of the strain-stiffening of the fibers in the new models is examined. The enhanced stability of the new models is then illustrated by investigation of cavitation instabilities. One of the motivations for the work is to apply the model to the biomechanics of soft tissues and the potential merits of the proposed models for this purpose are briefly discussed.     

Limit point instability in pressurization of anisotropic finitely extensible hyperelastic thin-walled tube

Mechanical responses of materials undergoing large elastic deformations can exhibit a loss of stability in several ways. Such a situation can occur when a thin-walled cylinder is inflated by an internal pressure. The loss of stability is manifested by a non-monotonic relationship between the inflating pressure and internal volume of the tube. This is often called limit point instability. The results, known from the literature, show that isotropic hyperelastic materials with limiting chain extensibility property always exhibit a stable response if the extensibility parameter of the Gent model satisfies J_m<18.2. Our study investigates the same phenomenon but for tubes with anisotropic form of the Gent model (finite extensibility of fibers). Anisotropy, used in our study, increases the number of material parameters the consequence of which is to increase degree of freedom of the problem. It will be shown that, in stark contrast to isotropic material, the unstable response is predicted not only for large values of J_m but also for J_m≈1 and smaller, and that the existence of limit point instability significantly depends on the orientation of preferred directions and on the ratio of linear parameters in the strain energy density function (this ratio can be interpreted as the ratio of weights by which fibers and matrix contribute to the strain energy density). Especially tubes reinforced with fibers oriented closely to the longitudinal direction are susceptible to a loss of monotony during pressurization.     

Prestress for maximum strength

The problem of designing prestress to maximize elastic capacity is treated analytically. Our formulation models structures comprised of a one-material elastic continuum, subject to a single deterministic load configuration.The equations needed to predict the optimal prestress design are derived. They are shown to comprise necessary and sufficient conditions for global maximum strength in the unconstrained design problem. The theory is demonstrated on the design of prestress for a thick-walled cylinder.     

An exact solution in a nonlinear theory of rods

A three dimensional nonlinear equilibrium theory of elastic rods, applicable to large displacements and small strains, and accounting for extensibility and shear deformation is developed. Integrals of the governing equations are determined for the case of specified end force and moment. A class of solutions is obtained for an initially straight, untwisted rod and compared to the classical solution. The effects of extensibility and shear deformation are discussed.     

On the radial oscillations of incompressible, isotropic, elastic and limited elastic thick-walled tubes

The finite amplitude, free radial oscillations of a thick-walled circular cylindrical tube are studied for an arbitrary incompressible, isotropic and homogeneous rubber-like material having limiting molecular chain extensibility. First, based on classical results for hyperelastic tubes, some results for thick-walled Mooney-Rivlin tubes are described graphically in the phase plane. Then the periodicity of the finite amplitude, free oscillations of a general limited elastic, thick-walled tube is studied; and some analytical results for the Gent model are illustrated in several numerical examples. Results for thick-walled Gent tubes are compared with those for corresponding Mooney-Rivlin tubes; and the motion of thin-walled Gent tubes is illustrated in the phase plane. Physical conclusions are presented. The period of small amplitude oscillations of an arbitrary elastic or limited elastic tube is derived from relations obtained by a linearization of a general class of equations of which the tube problem is a special case. Classical results of the linear theory are thereby recovered and compared with results for Mooney-Rivlin and Gent tubes.     

Plane strain bending of strain-stiffening rubber-like rectangular beams

This paper is concerned with investigation of the effects of strain-stiffening for the classical problem of plane strain bending by an end moment of a rectangular beam composed of an incompressible isotropic nonlinearly elastic material. For a variety of specific strain-energy densities that give rise to strain-stiffening in the stress–stretch response, the stresses and resultant moments are obtained explicitly. While such results are well known for classical constitutive models such as the Mooney-Rivlin and neo-Hookean models, our primary focus is on materials that undergo severe strain-stiffening in the stress–stretch response. In particular, we consider in detail two phenomenological constitutive models that reflect limiting chain extensibility at the molecular level and involve constraints on the deformation. The amount of bending that beams composed of such materials can sustain is limited by the constraint. Potential applications of the results to the biomechanics of soft tissues are indicated.     

Limiting Chain Extensibility Constitutive Models of Valanis–Landel Type

A new general constitutive model in terms of the principal stretches is proposed to reflect limiting chain extensibility resulting in severe strain-stiffening for incompressible, isotropic, homogeneous elastic materials. The strain-energy density involves the logarithm function and has the general Valanis–Landel form. For specific functions in the Valanis–Landel representation, we obtain particular strain-energies, some of which have been proposed in the recent literature. The stress–stretch response in some basic homogeneous deformations is described for these particular strain-energy densities. It is shown that the stress response in these deformations is similar to that predicted by the Gent model involving the first invariant of the Cauchy–Green tensor. The models discussed here depend on both the first and second invariants.      

织造中碳纤维束间的摩擦磨损试验模拟

织造过程中碳纤维束的摩擦磨损会导致成型后复合材料制件的机械性能下降. 采用自制的试验装置模拟织造过程中经纬纱线间的相互作用,研究了法向负载、预加张力和摩擦速率对碳纤维束摩擦磨损行为的影响. 结果表明:碳纤维束的摩擦系数随着法向负载的增加而减小,其磨损程度随着法向负载的增加而增大,相对应的碳纤维束拉伸断裂强力也逐渐下降;碳纤维束的摩擦力和摩擦系数因实际摩擦接触面积的变化随预加张力的增加而增大;摩擦速率的增加几乎不影响碳纤维束的摩擦力和摩擦系数,但延长了其测试值达到稳定所需的周期数.      

航空有机玻璃高阶弹性常数超声测定

从有限变形弹性动力学理论出发,认为超声在经历初始静态形变的各向同性弹性体中的传播是叠加在有限变形上的微小扰动,假设应变是应力的三次函数,导出以材料高阶弹性柔度系数为参数的超声纵波传播速度与初始应力关系式,针对YB-3航空有机玻璃试件,通过一组应力-速度测量数据,利用非线性最小二乘法优化方法确定了该材料的前四阶弹性柔度系数,并对实验及模拟计算结果进行了讨论。     

Pure Axial Shear of Isotropic, Incompressible Nonlinearly Elastic Materials with Limiting Chain Extensibility

The purpose of this research is to investigate the pure axial shear problem for a circular cylindrical tube composed of isotropic hyperelastic incompressible materials with limiting chain extensibility. Two popular models that account for hardening at large deformations are examined. These involve a strain-energy density which depends only on the first invariant of the Cauchy–Green tensor. In the limit as a polymeric chain extensibility tends to infinity, all of these models reduce to the classical neo-Hookean form. The stress fields and axial displacements are characterized for each of these models. Explicit closed-form analytic expressions are obtained. The results are compared with one another and with the predictions of the neo-Hookean model. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Modeling of fault slip in earthquakes

The total energy release and the length of interfacial crack growth associated with an earthquake are analyzed based on a horizontal one-dimensional semi-infinite elastic model of fault of uniform rectangular cross section between two rigid rocks. Initial interfacial cracks of finite length are assumed to exist on the top and bottom surfaces of the fault. A compressive force is applied at the end of the fault and uniform frictional forces are exerted on the crack surfaces. When the compressive force reaches a critical value, fault slip against the surrounding rock occurs and the frictional force changes from a static value to a dynamic value within a short time interval. The change in frictional force generates longitudinal wave propagation in the fault. As a result, a large amount of energy release takes place. The total amount of energy release and the length of crack growth can be analyzed based on the balance of energy.     

Multi-modes approach to modelling of vortex-induced vibration

In this work the fluid–structure interactions are considered by investigating a straight but slender pipe interacting with uniform water flow. Two configurations are studied, namely vertically and horizontally positioned pipes, which are modelled as an Euler–Bernoulli beam with flexural stiffness. Both pretension and length-wise mass distribution are considered. The structure is assumed to be moving only in the direction normal to flow (cross-flow motion) hence its in-line motion is neglected. The external fluid force acting on the structure is the result of the action of sectional vortex-induced drag and lift forces. Only mean drag force is considered, with time varying lift force modelled using a non-linear oscillator equation of the Van der Pol type. The obtained coupled system of non-linear partial differential equations is simplified employing Galerkin-type discretisation. The resulting ordinary differential equations are solved numerically providing multi-mode approximations of cross-flow displacement and non-dimensional lift coefficient. The comparison between the responses of vertical and horizontal structures shows that, as expected, due to a balancing between pretension and weight, in general a higher amplitude of vibration is observed for the vertical configuration than in the same location along the pipe for the horizontal configuration in the lower part of the structure. However, lower amplitudes are obtained in the upper part of the pipe. The horizontal configuration solutions are identical in symmetrical locations along the pipe due to constant pretension. The influence of the wake equation coefficients and the fluid force coefficients on the response amplitudes has been also considered together with the length of the pipe and pretension level, and the appropriate response curves are included. Finally, for the higher mode approximations it has been shown that the vibrations level at lower frequencies is predicted reasonably well by retaining only a small subset of modes.     

Peeling behavior of a bio-inspired nano-film on a substrate

A peeling model is proposed to analyze the peeling properties of bio-mimetic nano-films using the finite element method (FEM) and theoretical approach. The influences of the nano-film’s adhesion length, thickness, elastic modulus, roughness and peeling angle on the peeling force were considered as well as the effect of the viscoelastic behavior. It has been found that the effective adhesion length, at which the peeling force attained maximum, was much smaller than the real length of nano-films; and the shear force dominated in the case of smaller peeling angles, whereas, the normal force dominated at larger peeling angles. The total peeling force decreased with an increasing peeling angle. Two limiting values of the peeling-off force can be found in the viscoelastic model, which corresponds to the smaller and larger loading rate cases. The effects of nano-film thickness and Young’s modulus on peeling behaviors were also discussed. The results obtained are helpful for understanding the micro-adhesion mechanisms of biological systems, such as geckos.     

Variation in the length of perfectly elastic rods under torsion

On the basis of elastic constitutive relations that reflect geometrically nonlinear second-order effects, we refine the theory of torsion of rectilinear rods of an arbitrary transverse cross-section. In particular, we obtain a universal formula, independent of the material properties, that determines the longitudinal strain arising as the rod undergoes free torsion. According to this formula, the length of a rod made of an isotropic perfectly elastic material can, in contrast to the traditional concepts, either increase or decrease as the rod undergoes torsion. Moreover, the variation in the length depends only on the geometry of the transverse cross-section.     

A constitutive model of polyacrylate interpenetrating polymer networks for dielectric elastomers

A physically based method is proposed to represent interpenetrating polymer networks and their electromechanical behavior. The mechanical behavior of the material is nonlinear elastic and the electromechanical coupling arises from electrostatic effects often called the Maxwell stress effect. Ha et al. have synthesized interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) that invalidate the need for an external pre-stretch mechanism in dielectric elastomers. IPNs of acrylic elastomer and 1, 6-hexanediol diacrylate were successfully synthesized to create free-standing films with preserved prestretch. This results in a dual polymer network, with one polymer network in tension and the other in compression. The prestretch is preserved chemically in the dominant network. The internal prestretch is accompanied by an overall stiffening of the dual polymer network leading to compromised actuation strains. A mechanistically simple representation of the networks is proposed by means of a model of two springs in parallel, replaced by an equivalent single spring. A material parameter is introduced to account for the effect of the weight percent of the secondary network. The effect of the additive on the preserved prestretch in the primary network and hence the overall stress strain response is determined. Specifically, a modified Ogden strain energy function is proposed that describes the mechanical behavior of the new interpenetrating polymer network. The electromechanical response of the material is described using a previously presented constitutive formulation that works well for single network polymers. The model results indicate that ideally an interpenetrating polymer network DE should not stiffen when the secondary network is formed to avoid reduced actuation strains.     

Finite thermoelasticity with limiting chain extensibility

Rubber-like materials and soft tissues exhibit a significant stiffening or hardening in their stress-strain curves at large strains. Considerable progress has been made recently in the phenomenological modeling of this effect within the context of isotropic hyperelasticity. In particular, constitutive models reflecting limiting chain extensibility at the molecular level have been used to accurately capture strain-hardening. Here we generalize such models to isotropic thermoelasticity. We also show that specific non-polynomial strain-energies for both hyperelastic and thermoelastic materials can be obtained on using a modification of a systematic scheme of Rivlin and Signorini. The Rivlin-Signorini method was based on approximation of the strain-energy density function by polynomials whereas here we use the more general class of rational functions to approximate the material response functions. We then propose a simple generalization to thermoelasticity of a constitutive model for incompressible hyperelastic materials reflecting limiting chain extensibility due to Gent (Rubber Chem. Technol. 69 (1996) 59-61). For this new thermoelastic constitutive model we investigate the inhomogeneous deformation problem of axial shear of a circular cylindrical tube.     

Finitely extensible bead spring chains in time-dependent shear flows

The configurational and rheological properties of bead spring chains in time-dependent shear flows are calculated. The finite extensibility is incorporated through the constraint of constant contour length of the chain. Start-up of shear flow yields a stress overshoot, whereas oscillatory shear flow yields the same frequency dependence of the dynamic moduli as the simple bead spring model. The results show that finite extensibility can lead to non-linear rheological behavior of dilute polymer solutions. The influence of preaveraged hydrodynamic interaction on the obtained results is discussed.