Soft network materials constructed with horseshoe microstructures represent a class of bio-inspired synthetic materials that can be tailored precisely to match the nonlinear, J-shaped, stress–strain curves of human skins. Under a large level of stretching, the nonlinear deformations associated with the drastic changes of microstructure geometries can lead to an evident mechanical anisotropy, even for honeycomb and triangular lattices with a sixfold rotational symmetry. Such anisotropic mechanical responses are essential for certain targeted applications of these synthetic materials. By introducing appropriate periodic boundary conditions that apply to large deformations, this work presents an efficient computational model of soft network materials based on the analyses of representative unit cells. This model is validated through comparison of predicted deformed configurations with full-scale finite element analyses (FEA) for different loading angles and loading strains. Based on this model, the anisotropic mechanical responses, including the nonlinear stress–strain curves and Poisson's ratios, are systematically analyzed for three representative lattice topologies (square, triangular and honeycomb). An analytic solution of the geometry-based critical strain was found to show a good correspondence to the critical transition point of the calculated J-shaped stress–strain curve for different network geometries and loading angles. Furthermore, the nonlinear Poisson's ratio, which can be either negative or positive, was shown to depend highly on both the loading angle and the loading strain.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
July 2018
Research-Article
A Computational Model of Bio-Inspired Soft Network Materials for Analyzing Their Anisotropic Mechanical Properties
Enrui Zhang,
Enrui Zhang
Applied Mechanics Laboratory,
Department of Engineering Mechanics,
Tsinghua University,
Beijing 100084, China
Department of Engineering Mechanics,
Tsinghua University,
Beijing 100084, China
Search for other works by this author on:
Yuan Liu,
Yuan Liu
Applied Mechanics Laboratory,
Department of Engineering Mechanics,
Tsinghua University,
Beijing 100084, China
Department of Engineering Mechanics,
Tsinghua University,
Beijing 100084, China
Search for other works by this author on:
Yihui Zhang
Yihui Zhang
Applied Mechanics Laboratory,
Department of Engineering Mechanics,
Tsinghua University,
Beijing 100084, China;
Department of Engineering Mechanics,
Tsinghua University,
Beijing 100084, China;
Center for Mechanics and Materials,
Tsinghua University,
Beijing 100084, China;
Tsinghua University,
Beijing 100084, China;
Center for Flexible Electronics Technology,
Tsinghua University,
Beijing 100084, China
e-mail: yihuizhang@tsinghua.edu.cn
Tsinghua University,
Beijing 100084, China
e-mail: yihuizhang@tsinghua.edu.cn
Search for other works by this author on:
Enrui Zhang
Applied Mechanics Laboratory,
Department of Engineering Mechanics,
Tsinghua University,
Beijing 100084, China
Department of Engineering Mechanics,
Tsinghua University,
Beijing 100084, China
Yuan Liu
Applied Mechanics Laboratory,
Department of Engineering Mechanics,
Tsinghua University,
Beijing 100084, China
Department of Engineering Mechanics,
Tsinghua University,
Beijing 100084, China
Yihui Zhang
Applied Mechanics Laboratory,
Department of Engineering Mechanics,
Tsinghua University,
Beijing 100084, China;
Department of Engineering Mechanics,
Tsinghua University,
Beijing 100084, China;
Center for Mechanics and Materials,
Tsinghua University,
Beijing 100084, China;
Tsinghua University,
Beijing 100084, China;
Center for Flexible Electronics Technology,
Tsinghua University,
Beijing 100084, China
e-mail: yihuizhang@tsinghua.edu.cn
Tsinghua University,
Beijing 100084, China
e-mail: yihuizhang@tsinghua.edu.cn
1Corresponding author.
Contributed by the Applied Mechanics Division of ASME for publication in the JOURNAL OF APPLIED MECHANICS. Manuscript received March 21, 2018; final manuscript received March 24, 2018; published online April 13, 2018. Editor: Yonggang Huang.
J. Appl. Mech. Jul 2018, 85(7): 071002 (9 pages)
Published Online: April 13, 2018
Article history
Received:
March 21, 2018
Revised:
March 24, 2018
Citation
Zhang, E., Liu, Y., and Zhang, Y. (April 13, 2018). "A Computational Model of Bio-Inspired Soft Network Materials for Analyzing Their Anisotropic Mechanical Properties." ASME. J. Appl. Mech. July 2018; 85(7): 071002. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4039815
Download citation file:
Get Email Alerts
Related Articles
A Mechanics Model of Soft Network Materials With Periodic Lattices of Arbitrarily Shaped Filamentary Microstructures for Tunable Poisson's Ratios
J. Appl. Mech (May,2018)
The Overall Elastic Dielectric Properties of Fiber-Strengthened/Weakened Elastomers
J. Appl. Mech (November,2015)
Related Proceedings Papers
Related Chapters
Approximate Analysis of Plates
Design of Plate and Shell Structures
Data Tabulations
Structural Shear Joints: Analyses, Properties and Design for Repeat Loading
On the Evaluation of Thermal and Mechanical Factors in Low-Speed Sliding
Tribology of Mechanical Systems: A Guide to Present and Future Technologies