Multi-scale modelling of rubber-like materials and soft tissues:an appraisal.
We survey, in a partial way, multi-scale approaches for the modelling of rubber-like and soft tissues and compare them with classical macroscopic phenomenological models. Our aim is to show how it is possible to obtain practical mathematical models for the mechanical behaviour of these materials incorporating mesoscopic (network scale) information. Multi-scale approaches are crucial for the theoretical comprehension and prediction of the complex mechanical response of these materials. Moreover, such models are fundamental in the perspective of the design, through manipulation at the micro- and nano-scales, of new polymeric and bioinspired materials with exceptional macroscopic properties.
Dipartimento di Scienze dell'Ingegneria Civile e dell'Architettura , Politecnico di Bari , Via Re David 200, Bari, Italy.
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Puglisi
Dipartimento di Ingegneria, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Perugia 06125, Italy; School of Mathematics, Statistics and Applied Mathematics, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway, Ireland.
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0000-0001-7987-8892
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Saccomandi
entropic elasticity; multi-scale models; rubber elasticity