A Variational Rod Model with a Singular Nonlocal Potential

The classical theory of elastic rods does not account for the possibility that large deformations may involve distinct points along the rod occupying the same physical space. We develop an elastic rod model with a pairwise repulsive potential such that, if two non-adjacent points along the rod are close in physical space, there is an energy barrier which prevents contact while for points nearby along the rod the potential is describable classically. This framework is developed to prove the existence of minimizers within each homotopy class, where the idea of topological homotopy of a curve is generalized to elastic rods as framed curves. Finally, the relevant first-order optimality conditions are derived and used to investigate the regularity of minimizers.     

Non-local elastic effects in electroactive polymers

In this work we study the onset of inhomogeneous deformations in thin electroactive polymers (EAPs) under voltage control. In order to account for the regularizing effects due to both the constitutive nature of the film and to its mechanical interaction with the compliant electrodes, we introduce a non-local energy term depending on the second gradient of deformation. We prove that very small non-local effects are sufficient to find realistic inhomogeneous deformations at the onset of the bifurcation, which are characterized by periodic thickness undulations with finite wavelength. Finally we prove that strong regularizing effects can suppress the onset of inhomogeneous deformations.     

On the General Structure of Small on Large Problems for Elastic Deformations of Varga Materials I: Plane Strain Deformations

In three recent papers [6–8], the present authors show that both plane strain and axially symmetric deformations of perfectly elastic incompressible Varga materials admit certain first integrals, which means that solutions for finite elastic deformations can be determined from a second order partial differential equation, rather than a fourth order one. For plane strain deformations there are three such integrals, while for axially symmetric deformations there are two. The purpose of the present papers is to present the general equations for small deformations which are superimposed upon a large deformation, which is assumed to satisfy one of the previously obtained first integrals. The governing partial differential equations for the small superimposed deformations are linear but highly nonhomogeneous, and we present here the precise structure of these equations in terms of a second-order linear differential operator D², which is first defined by examining solutions of the known integrals. The results obtained are illustrated with reference to a number of specific large deformations which are known solutions of the first integrals. For deformations of limited magnitude, the Varga strain-energy function has been established as a reasonable prototype for both natural rubber vulcanizates and styrene-butadiene vulcanizates. Plane strain deformations are examined in this present part while axially symmetric deformations are considered in Part II [16]. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Discussion of coupled elastoplasticity and damage constitutive equations for small and finite deformations

Three small deformation plasticity models taking into account isotropic damage effects are presented and discussed. The models are formulated in the context of irreversible thermody-namics and the internal state variable theory. They exhibit nonlinear isotropic and nonlinear kinematic hardening. The aim of the paper is first to give a comparative study of the three models with reference to homogeneous and inhomogeneous deformations by using a general damage law. Secondly, and this is the main objective of the paper, we generalize the constitutive models to finite deformations by applying a thermodynamical framework based on the Mandel stress tensor. The responses of the obtained finite deformation models are then discussed for loading processes with homogeneous deformations.     

On Compressible Materials Capable of Sustaining Axisymmetric Shear Deformations. Part 4: Helical Shear of Anisotropic Hyperelastic Materials

Conditions on the form of the strain energy function in order that homogeneous, compressible and isotropic hyperelastic materials may sustain controllable static, axisymmetric anti-plane shear, azimuthal shear, and helical shear deformations of a hollow, circular cylinder have been explored in several recent papers. Here we study conditions on the strain energy function for homogeneous and compressible, anisotropic hyperelastic materials necessary and sufficient to sustain controllable, axisymmetric helical shear deformations of the tube. Similar results for separate axisymmetric anti-plane shear deformations and rotational shear deformations are then obtained from the principal theorem for helical shear deformations. The three theorems are illustrated for general compressible transversely isotropic materials for which the isotropy axis coincides with the cylinder axis. Previously known necessary and sufficient conditions on the strain energy for compressible and isotropic hyperelastic materials in order that the three classes of axisymmetric shear deformations may be possible follow by specialization of the anisotropic case. It is shown that the required monotonicity condition for the isotropic case is much simpler and less restrictive. Restrictions necessary and sufficient for anti-plane and rotational shear deformations to be possible in compressible hyperelastic materials having a helical axis of transverse isotropy that winds at a constant angle around the tube axis are derived. Results for the previous case and for a circular axis of transverse isotropy are included as degenerate helices. All of the conditions derived here have essentially algebraic structure and are easy to apply. The general rules are applied in several examples for specific strain energy functions of compressible and homogeneous transversely isotropic materials having straight, circular, and helical axes of material symmetry.     

A nonlocal contact formulation for confined granular systems

We present a nonlocal formulation of contact mechanics that accounts for the interplay of deformations due to multiple contact forces acting on a single particle. The analytical formulation considers the effects of nonlocal mesoscopic deformations characteristic of confined granular systems and, therefore, removes the classical restriction of independent contacts. This is in sharp contrast to traditional contact mechanics theories, which are strictly local and assume that contacts are independent regardless the confinement of the particles. For definiteness, we restrict attention to elastic spheres in the absence of gravitational forces, adhesion or friction. Hence, a notable feature of the nonlocal formulation is that, when nonlocal effects are neglected, it reduces to Hertz theory. Furthermore, we show that, under the preceding assumptions and up to moderate macroscopic deformations, the predictions of the nonlocal contact formulation are in remarkable agreement with detailed finite-element simulations and experimental observations, and in large disagreement with Hertz theory predictions—supporting that the assumption of independent contacts only holds for small deformations. The discrepancy between the extended theory presented in this work and Hertz theory is borne out by studying periodic homogeneous systems and disordered heterogeneous systems.     

Inhomogeneous rectilinear shear deformations for electro-active elastic solids

Using the inverse method we consider the admissibility of a family of inhomogeneous rectilinear shear deformations in isotropic electroactive materials. Moreover, several boundary value problems related to these deformations are investigated numerically.     

Stress-Induced Phase Transformations of an Isotropic Incompressible Elastic Body Subject to a Triaxial Stress State

The present paper concerns the stable multiphase isochoric deformations for an isotropic elastic body subject to a surface traction of uniform Piola stress with two equal principal forces which are opposite to the third. To model the occurrence of such deformations, we consider a strain energy density function which depends on the first principal invariant of deformation through a non-convex function and which has an added linear dependence on the second invariant. We establish existence conditions for equilibrium multiphase deformations which give restrictions on the morphology of the connecting phases as well as on the orientation of the flat interfaces between the phases. Finally, by considering a special, but representative, form for the non-convex strain energy function, we show that there exists a “critical” value of the external load which allows for the emergence of stable coexistent deformation fields.     

Stability,bifurcation and post-critical behavior of a homogeneously deformed incompressible isotropic elastic parallelepiped subject to dead-load surface tractions

We study the equilibrium homogeneous deformations of a homogeneous parallelepiped made of an arbitrary incompressible, isotropic elastic material and subject to a distribution of dead-load surface tractions corresponding to an equibiaxial tensile stress state accompanied by an orthogonal uniaxial compression of the same amount. We show that only two classes of homogeneous equilibrium solutions are possible, namely symmetric deformations, characterized by two equal principal stretches, and asymmetric deformations, with all different principal stretches. Following the classical energy-stability criterion, we then find necessary and sufficient conditions for both symmetric and asymmetric equilibrium deformations to be weak relative minimizers of the total potential energy. Finally, we analyze the mechanical response of a parallelepiped made of an incompressible Mooney–Rivlin material in a monotonic dead loading process starting from the unloaded state. As a major result, we model the actual occurrence of a bifurcation from a primary branch of locally stable symmetric deformations to a secondary, post-critical branch of locally stable asymmetric solutions.     

Paradoxical Bending Behavior of Shearable Nonlinearly Elastic Rods

In nonlinear elasticity the exact geometry of deformation is combined with general constitutive relations. This allows a very sophisticated interaction of deformations in different material directions. Based on the Cosserat theory for planar deformations of nonlinearly elastic rods we demonstrate some paradoxical bending effects caused by a nontrivial interaction of extension, flexure, and shear. The analytical results are illustrated by numerical examples.     

On the General Structure of Small on Large Problems for Elastic Deformations of Varga Materials II: Axially Symmetric Deformations

In Part I of this article, we have formulated the general structure of the equations governing small plane strain deformations which are superimposed upon a known large plane strain deformation for the perfectly elastic incompressible 'modified' Varga material, and assuming only that the initial large plane deformation is a known solution of one of three first integrals previously derived by the authors. For axially summetric deformations there are only two such first integrals, one of which applies only to the single term Varga strain-energy function, and we give here the corresponding general equations for small superimposed deformations. As an illustration, a partial analysis for the case of small deformations superimposed upon the eversion of a thick spherical shell is examined. The Varga strain-energy functions are known to apply to both natural and synthetic rubber, provided the magnitude of the deformation is restricted. Their behaviour in both simple tension and equibiaxial tension, and in comparison to experimental data, is shown graphically in Part I of this paper [1]. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

On the effective stiffness of plates made of hyperelastic materials with initial stresses

Within the framework of the direct approach to the plate theory we consider the infinitesimal deformations of a plate made of hyperelastic materials taking into account the non-homogeneously distributed initial stresses. Here we consider the plate as a material surface with 5 degrees of freedom (3 translations and 2 rotations). Starting from the equations of the non-linear elastic body and describing the small deformations superposed on the finite deformation we present the two-dimensional constitutive equations for a plate. The influence of initial stresses in the bulk material on the plate behavior is considered.     

Microfabricated Force Sensors and Their Applications in the Study of Cell Mechanical Response

Living cells are sensitive to their mechanical environments and they transduce mechanical stimuli into biological responses. Developing suitable experimental techniques is essential to explore the question on how cells respond to mechanical stimuli. The current major techniques normally induce small cell deformations and measure their corresponding cell force response (small) in the range of 1 pN to 10nN. However, in many physiological conditions, cell deformations can be large (comparable to the cell sizes) inducing large force response. In order to explore cell mechanical behavior under large deformations, we introduce a class of microfabricated force sensors. The sensors, consisting of a probe and flexible beams, normally measure cell force response in the range of 1nN to 1μN. Both the one- and two-component force sensors have been developed, and have been used in cell experiments. These experiments showed the versatility of the force sensors. Representative experimental results on cell stretch force response, cell indentation force response, and in situ observation of the actin cytoskeleton during indentation, will be given. These results provide significant insight on cell mechanical response under large deformations.     

A class of exact solutions for finite plane strain deformations of a particular elastic material

Summary In this paper we consider plane deformations of an incompressible elastic material and we show that by a suitable choice of strain energy function we can find the class of deformations with constant local rotation angle. Although the form for the strain energy function is chosen in the first place for mathematical convenience it does correspond to physically reasonable behaviour and such a theory may be regarded as a first order theory. The class of solutions obtained are expressed in a parametric form involving an arbitrary function, simple choices of which correspond to the well known exact solutions of finite elasticity.     

A Characterisation of the Boundary Displacements Which Induce Cavitation in an Elastic Body

In this paper we present numerical and theoretical results for characterising the onset of cavitation-type material instabilities in solids. To model this phenomenon we use nonlinear elasticity to allow for the large, potentially infinite, stresses and strains involved in such deformations. We give a characterisation of the set of linear displacement boundary conditions for which energy minimising deformations produce a single isolated hole inside an originally perfect elastic body, based on a notion of the derivative of the stored energy functional with respect to hole-producing deformations. We conjecture that, for many stored energy functions, the critical linear boundary conditions which cause an isolated cavity to form correspond to the zero set of this derivative. We use this characterisation to propose a numerical procedure for computing these critical boundary displacements for general stored energy functions and give numerical examples for specific materials. For a degenerate stored energy function (with spherically symmetric boundary deformations) and for an elastic fluid, we show that the vanishing of the volume derivative gives exactly the critical boundary conditions for the onset of this type of cavitation.     

Discrete Homogenization in Graphene Sheet Modeling

Graphene sheets can be considered as lattices consisting of atoms and of interatomic bonds. Their bond lengths are smaller than one nanometer. Simple models describe their behavior by an energy that takes into account both the interatomic lengths and the angles between bonds. We make use of their periodic structure and we construct an equivalent macroscopic model by means of a discrete homogenization technique. Large three-dimensional deformations of graphene sheets are thus governed by a membrane model whose constitutive law is implicit. By linearizing around a prestressed configuration, we obtain linear membrane models that are valid for small displacements and whose constitutive laws are explicit. When restricting to two-dimensional deformations, we can linearize around a rest configuration and we provide explicit macroscopical mechanical constants expressed in terms of the interatomic tension and bending stiffnesses.     

Regularity for Shearable Nonlinearly Elastic Rods in Obstacle Problems

Based on the Cosserat theory describing planar deformations of shearable nonlinearly elastic rods we study the regularity of equilibrium states for problems where the deformations are restricted by rigid obstacles. We start with the discussion of general conditions modeling frictionless contact. In particular we motivate a contact condition that, roughly speaking, requires the contact forces to be directed normally, in a generalized sense, both to the obstacle and to the deformed shape of the rod. We show that there is a jump in the strains in the case of a concentrated contact force, i.e., the deformed shape of the rod has a corner. Then we assume some smoothness for the boundary of the obstacle and derive corresponding regularity for the contact forces. Finally we compare the results with the case of unshearable rods and obtain interesting qualitative differences. (Accepted January 21, 1998)     

Universal Deformations for a Class of Compressible Isotropic Hyperelastic Materials

Differential conditions are derived for a smooth deformation to be universal for a class of isotropic hyperelastic materials that we regard as a compressible variant (a notion we make precise) of Mooney–Rivlin’s class, and that includes the materials studied originally by Tolotti in 1943 and later, independently, by Blatz. The collection of all universal deformations for an incompressible material class is shown to contain, modulo a uniform dilation, all the universal deformations for its compressible variants. As an application of this result, by searching the known families of universal deformations for all incompressible isotropic materials, a nontrivial universal deformation for Tolotti materials is found. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Restrictions on dynamically propagating surfaces of strong discontinuity in elastic-plastic solids

For dynamic three-dimensional deformations of elastic-plastic materials, we elicit conditions necessary for the existence of propagating surfaces of strong discontinuity (across which components of stress, strain or material velocity jump). This is accomplished within a small-displacement-gradient formulation of standard weak continuum-mechanical assumptions of momentum conservation and geometrical compatibility, and skeletal constitutive assumptions which permit very general elastic and plastic anisotropy including yield surface vertices and anisotropic hardening. In addition to deriving very explicit restrictions on propagating strong discontinuities in general deformations, we prove that for anti-plane strain and incompressible plane strain deformations, such strong discontinuities can exist only at elastic wave speeds in generally anisotropic elastic-ideally plastic materials unless a material's yield locus in stress space contains a linear segment. The results derived seem essential for correct and complete construction of solutions to dynamic elastic-plastic boundary-value problems.