On the Correlation of FEM and Experiments for Hyperelastic Elastomers

Correlation of modern finite element methods (FEM) with advanced experimental techniques for elastomers, biomedical materials, and living organs requires study and modification of the behavior of these materials. In this study, the mechanical behavior of a commonly-used elastomer, silicone rubber, which provides excellent biocompatibility, was examined under different applied loading configurations, and large deformations were investigated through both experiment and simulation. The stress-strain behaviors of silicone rubber were tested, using multiple homogeneous experiments, including uniaxial extension and equibiaxial tension, the load-apex displacement response, and digitized deformed shapes of two of the most-used structures for nonlinear hyperelasticity—the inflation of a clamped circular membrane, and indentation of the membrane by a spherical indenter. Uniaxial and equibiaxial data were evaluated simultaneously, characterized by various constitutive models for implementation in the FE simulation. These constitutive models examined the prediction of the FE simulations for the inflation and indentation tests in comparison to the results of experiments at various load-apex displacement levels. The results showed that the constitutive models calibrated with the uniaxial and equibiaxial tests, predicted nearly the same results as the actual experimental results, particularly for the applied loads that generated moderate strain. However, when the FE simulations based on the constitutive models were adjusted, employing only uniaxial or equibiaxial tests, they predicted different results, where the degree of their correlations with experimental results was incomplete or in some states simply poor. The simulations suggested that the inverse FE procedure should not be restricted to the choice of material models, while more attention should be given to the choice of ranges of deformation.