Mechanics Of Fibrous Networks

Mechanics of Fibrous Networks covers everything there is to know about the mechanics of fibrous networks, from basic analysis of simple networks to the characterization of complex cases of deformation, loading, damage and fracture. Looking at various types of fibrous materials, the book studies their microstructural characterization, quantification of their mechanical properties, and performance at fiber and network levels. In addition, the book outlines numerical strategies for simulation, design and optimization of fibrous products. Techniques for testing the mechanical response of these materials in different loading and environmental conditions are outlined as well. This comprehensive resource will aid readers in obtaining qualitative data for various fibrous networks. In addition, it will help them develop modeling strategies and fine-tune mechanical performance fibrous networks and products by changing their microstructure to develop new products with desired properties and performance. Discusses all the main features and characteristics of fibrous networks, including their microstructural characterization, quantification of their mechanical properties, and performance at the fiber and network level Covers both basic analysis of simple networks as well as complex cases of deformation, loading, damage and fracture of fibrous networks Outlines advanced numerical schemes for simulation, design and optimization of various fibrous materials

The book explores the state of the art in the mechanics of fibrous media, providing an overview of the theoretical, modelling and practical aspects of designing and working with these materials. It also describes the advanced methods needed to handle their specific features, including the mechanics of generalized continua, dedicated homogenization methods and computational techniques, and presents applications of fibrous media to diverse fields and over a broad spectrum of scales, ranging from aeronautics to biomechanics.

The objectives of this book are twofold: 1. To provide a thorough examination of the materials science of cellulosic fibers with emphasis on the characterization of structure-property relations, and 2. To advance knowledge of how to best analyze cellulosic fibrous networks and composites, and, ultimately, engineer "novel" cellulose-based systems of superior performance and functionality. The design of new materials through the study of living systems, or bio-imitation, is burgeoning to become an established field, generally referred to as biomimetics. The latter, as with materials science, in general, prominently features multi-disciplinarity where new developments in mathematics, physics, chemistry and engineering continue to inspire novel areas of research and development. The book is structured in five chapters which provide a sequential treatment of the running theme: deformation mechanics and the physical, morphological and mechanical characterization of native cellulose fibers networks and composites. The heart of the book is Chapter 3, Damage Accumulation in Fibers, which treats the experimental methodology for fatigue testing of single fibers and the engendered results. In-depth examinations of the morphology, structure and chemical composition of native cellulose fibers, and the mechanics of deformation in these natural composite fibers are proffered in Chapters 1 and 2, respectively. The fourth chapter, Fractal Simulation of Crack Propagation, presents a fractal-based approach to modeling damage accumulation in materials. Fractals lend themselves well to modeling such randomly-oriented phenomena as crack propagation and fracture. The last chapter, Fibrous Structures: Networks and Composites, comprises analytical approaches for handling networks and composites.

This book covers developments in soft matter mechanics and physics from the perspective of applied and computational mechanics. It Includes a selection of recent works on the subject and details the application of soft matter mechanics on engineering problems.

This book presents studies on the plasticity, failure, and damage behavior of materials and structures under monotonic and cyclic loads. Featuring contributions by leading authors from around the globe, it focuses on the description of new effects observed in experiments, such as damage under cyclic loading. It also proposes various simulation models based on different approaches and compares them with tests, taking scaling aspects into account.

The book presents interesting examples of recent developments in this area. Among the studied materials are bulk metallic glasses, metamaterials, special composites, piezoelectric smart structures, nonwovens, etc. The last decades have seen a large extension of types of materials employed in various applications. In many cases these materials demonstrate mechanical properties and performance that vary significantly from those of their traditional counterparts. Such uniqueness is sought – or even specially manufactured – to meet increased requirements on modern components and structures related to their specific use. As a result, mechanical behaviors of these materials under different loading and environmental conditions are outside the boundaries of traditional mechanics of materials, presupposing development of new characterization techniques, theoretical descriptions and numerical tools. The book presents interesting examples of recent developments in this area. Among the studied materials are bulk metallic glasses, metamaterials, special composites, piezoelectric smart structures, nonwovens, etc.

The connective and supportive tissues constitute a considerable amount of the biomass in human and animal organisms. The aim of this book is to contribute to the understanding of the mutual relationship between the mechanical situation of tendons and ligaments and their inner structure.

The book presents a state-of-the-art overview of the fundamental theories, established models and ongoing research related to the modeling of these materials. Two approaches are conventionally used to develop constitutive relations for highly deformable fibrous materials. According to the phenomenological approach, a strain energy density function can be defined in terms of strain invariants. The other approach is based on kinetic theories, which treats a fibrous material as a randomly oriented inter-tangled network of long molecular chains bridged by permanent and temporary junctions. At the micro-level, these are associated with chemical crosslinks and active entanglements, respectively. The papers include carefully crafted overviews of the fundamental formulation of the three-dimensional theory from several points of view, and address their equivalences and differences. Also included are solutions to boundary-value problems which are amenable to experimental verification. A further aspect is the elasticity of filaments, stability of equilibrium and thermodynamics of the molecular network theory.