Mechanical Behavior and Relation to Structural Parameters

This paper presents the results of a numerical simulation of the ultimate flax fibre ( Linum usitatissimum) tensile mechanical behaviour using finite element analysis. Experimental data were used to develop a numerical multilayer model of the flax fibre. Thus, the influence of some parameters, such as cell wall thicknesses, microfibrils angles (MFAs), biochemical composition and mechanical properties of the biochemical components, on the flax fibre tensile mechanical behaviour has been investigated. Results show that the typical stress–strain curve profile of the flax fibre could be due to the mechanical properties of hydrophilic components (hemicelluloses) and thus to the environmental conditions. A parameter sensitivity study reveals that ultrastructural parameters (hemicelluloses and cellulose Young’s modulus) strongly influence the flax fibre mechanical behaviour and structural parameters (S2 cell wall layer MFA and thickness) significantly influence the fibre longitudinal Young’s modulus. Thus, the knowledge of the fibre ultrastructure seems to be the key of the understanding of the flax fibre mechanical behaviour.

Mechanical behavior investigation of press-fit connector based on finite element simulation and its reliability evaluation

In proposed study the effect of the composition and structure of polyurethane/ground rubber (PUR/GR) composites on the mechanical behavior was evaluated. The structure–properties relationship was studied for PUR matrices with different polarity, porosity and mechanical properties. The morphology of PUR/GR composites was expressed by two structural parameters—interspace filling and interspace volume. Experimental data of mechanical testing were fitted by power-law functions containing mentioned structural parameters whereas exponents of these parameters reflect differences in mechanical properties and chemical composition of PUR matrices. Obtained equations describe the mechanical behavior with respect to the structure and morphology of porous PUR/GR composites consisting of one filler and different PUR matrices. Proposed study suggests new approach to the description of the relationship between mechanical behavior and structure of porous composite materials.

Emerging evidence indicates that cellular mechanical behavior can be altered by disease, drug treatment, and mechanical loading. To effectively investigate how disease and mechanical or biochemical treatments influence cellular mechanical behavior, it is imperative to determine the source of large inter-cell differences in whole-cell mechanical behavior within a single cell line. In this study, we used the atomic force microscope to investigate the effects of cell morphological parameters and confluency on whole-cell mechanical behavior for osteoblastic and fibroblastic cells. For nonconfluent cells, projected nucleus area, cell area, and cell aspect ratio were not correlated with mechanical behavior (p>or=0.46), as characterized by a parallel-spring recruitment model. However, measured force-deformation responses were statistically different between osteoblastic and fibroblastic cells (p<0.001) and between confluent and nonconfluent cells (p<0.001). Osteoblastic cells were 2.3-2.8 times stiffer than fibroblastic cells, and confluent cells were 1.5-1.8 times stiffer than nonconfluent cells. The results indicate that structural differences related to phenotype and confluency affect whole-cell mechanical behavior, while structural differences related to global morphology do not. This suggests that cytoskeleton structural parameters, such as filament density, filament crosslinking, and cell-cell and cell-matrix attachments, dominate inter-cell variability in whole-cell mechanical behavior.

Polyethylene/clay nanocomposites were prepared as blown films using different formulae (clay contents (4 and 6 wt%) and compatibilizer/clay ratio (1/2, 1.0, 2.0)). Structure and mechanical behaviour were tested. It was found that blown film extrusion process decreased the tactoids size and consequently enhanced the exfoliation degree of the clay layers inside the polymer matrix, which is due to the elongational stress during extrusion. Addition of clay had some effects on mechanical behaviour. There was an increase of yield strength (max 32%). Yield strength is related to the interfacial interaction between the polymer and the clay layers in the nanocomposites, which would be enhanced by enhancing the compatibility between polymer and clay layers. Correlation analysis showed good correlation between compatibility and interfacial interaction parameters, and between parameters of interfacial interaction, structure and yield strength.

Influence of design parameters on the mechanical behavior and porosity of braided fibrous stents

Compared with the traditional lattice structure, the triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) structure can avoid stress concentration effectively. Here, it is promising in the fields of lightweight and energy absorption. However, the number of structural parameters and mechanical properties of the TPMS structure is plentiful, and the relationship between them is unclassified. In this paper, for the first time, a unified mathematical model was proposed to establish the relationship between TPMS structural design parameters and mechanical properties. Fifteen primitive models were designed by changing the structural parameters (level-set value C and thickness T) and manufacturing by selective laser melting. The geometric defects and surface quality of the structures were explored by optical microscope and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The mechanical properties were investigated by quasi-static compression test and finite element simulation. The influence of building direction on structural mechanical behavior (failure mode, stress-strain curve) was studied. The real mechanical properties (Young’s modulus and plateau stress) of the structure could be predicted according to different C and T combinations. Finally, the energy absorption characteristics were explored. The results showed that when the C value is 0.6 in the range of 0–0.6, the energy absorption performance of the structure is at the maximum level.

Understanding the correlation between tissue architecture, health status, and mechanical properties is essential for improving material models and developing tissue engineering scaffolds. Since structural-based material models are state of the art, there is an urgent need for experimentally obtained structural parameters. For this purpose, the medial layer of nine human abdominal aortas was simultaneously subjected to equibiaxial loading and multi-photon microscopy. At each loading interval of 0.02, collagen and elastin fibers were imaged based on their second-harmonic generation signal and two-photon excited autofluorescence, respectively. The structural alterations in the fibers were quantified using the parameters of orientation, diameter, and waviness. The results of the mechanical tests divided the sample cohort into the ruptured and non-ruptured, and stiff and non-stiff groups, which were covered by the findings from histological investigations. The alterations in structural parameters provided an explanation for the observed mechanical behavior. In addition, the waviness parameters of both collagen and elastin fibers showed the potential to serve as indicators of tissue strength. The data provided address deficiencies in current material models and bridge multiscale mechanisms in the aortic media. Statement of significanceAvailable material models can reproduce, but cannot predict, the mechanical behavior of human aortas. This deficiency could be overcome with the help of experimentally validated structural parameters as provided in this study. Simultaneous multi-photon microscopy and biaxial extension testing revealed the microstructure of human aortic media at different stretch levels. Changes in the arrangement of collagen and elastin fibers were quantified using structural parameters such as orientation, diameter and waviness. For the first time, structural parameters of human aortic tissue under continuous loading conditions have been obtained. In particular, the waviness parameters at the reference configuration have been associated with tissue stiffness, brittleness, and the onset of atherosclerosis.

In this paper, attention is focused on the influence of changes in the variable parameters of the structure of mechanical tetrachiral metamaterial on its linear elastic behavior, in particular, on its twist. The parameters characterizing the structure of the metamaterial were chosen in a relative form with respect to the unit cell size and changed independently of each other in the investigation. The results of the mechanical behavior of the tetrachiral metamaterial in the event of changes in the structural parameters were obtained. The dependencies of the rotation angle when the relative parameters change were established and analyzed. The parameters of the chiral structure, the most affecting the unusual behavior of mechanical metamaterial—a twist under uniaxial loading, were determined.

This chapter presents an overview of the mechanics of random fiber networks with emphasis on the structure–properties relationship. The discussion begins with a classification of the types of fibers, including thermal and athermal fibers, and the types of crosslinks commonly encountered in engineered and biological networks. Further, a classification of networks is presented. The parameters used to describe the network structure are introduced along with geometric relations between quantities such as the density, mean fiber segment length, and crosslink density. The large strains behavior of networks measured in tension and compression, as revealed by models and experiments performed with various types of network materials, is presented. This is characterized by strong non-linearity, large sensitivity of the overall response to network structural parameters, and a large Poisson effect. The strength of networks is discussed in the context of structures with and without pre-existing cracks. It is shown that the strength is independent of the fiber properties and depends on the density and strength of the crosslinks, as well as on the mean fiber segment length. Finally, the structure and mechanical behavior of networks with inter-fiber adhesive interactions are evaluated. These are controlled by the strength of adhesion. In networks with strong adhesion and relatively thin fibers, the fibers self-organize leading to the formation of a cellular network of fiber bundles. Such cellular networks are stable and have a mechanical behavior qualitatively similar to that of crosslinked networks of individual fibers. This discussion demonstrates the broad range of mechanical behaviors that can be obtained with various network structures, hinting to the usefulness of fiber networks in many applications.

The effect of the initial structure of double-phase titanium alloy VT9 on the mechanical behavior and changes in the structure due to high-temperature uniaxial stretching is studied. Values of structural parameters after deformation are presented for six initial structural states of the alloy. The characteristics of uniform and lumped strain are computed. The effect of high-temperature annealing preceding the deformation on the ductility characteristics is described.

Preparation of synthetic sandstones with variable cementation for studying the physical properties of granular rocks

Kirigami, the art of cutting paper, recently emerged as a powerful tool to substantially modify, reconfigure and program the properties of material. The development of kirigami technology provides an effective solution for designing the inorganic flexible electronic devices. Pyramid kirigami, as a kind of kirigami structure, shows a large vertical extension characteristic. It has been widely used to demonstrate versatile applications, such as graphene kirigami spiral spring, three-dimensional stretchable supercapacitor, and wearable flexible sensors. In the present work, we construct a polygonal radial symmetric pyramid kirigami by introducing some cuts in the elastic sheet. The mechanical behavior of pyramid kirigami is investigated based on the cantilever formula solved by Galerkin method. In addition, a “beam model” is proposed to explain deformation process of pyramid kirigami, which consists of several “beam elements” containing two cantilever beams. The formula for the relationship between the elastic coefficient &lt;i&gt;K&lt;/i&gt; and the structural parameters of the regular &lt;i&gt;N&lt;/i&gt;-sided pyramid kirigami of &lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; modules is obtained by combining several cantilever beams. The formula for the linear threshold of deformation &lt;i&gt;D&lt;/i&gt;&lt;sub&gt;T&lt;/sub&gt; is obtained based on the comparison between the approximate curve of small deflection and the theoretical curve of a cantilever beam. When the deformation of the structure exceeds the linear threshold, the structure cannot keep the elastic coefficient &lt;i&gt;K&lt;/i&gt; value linear any more, and the mechanical behaviors become non-linear. The simple geometric relationship of a single module is used to explain the out-of-sheet distortion of the structure. The proposed theoretical model is confirmed by finite element method simulation and experimental methods, and it is used to analyze the mechanical characteristics of graphene krigami reported. The results indicate that the defined parameters can be adjusted to tailor or manipulate the ductility and mechanical behaviors. This work provides theoretical support for the application of pyramid kirigami in the field of flexible devices. In the macroscopic field, the pyramid kirigami structure is expected to be applied to the field of flexible devices as a flexible structure with controllable elastic coefficient. In the microscopic field, it is expected to use two-dimensional materials to make force measurement devices with a simple visual readout and femtonewton force resolution.

Ligament mechanical behavior is primarily regulated by fibrous networks of type I collagen. Although these fibrous networks are typically highly aligned, healthy and injured ligament can also exhibit disorganized collagen architecture. The objective of this study was to determine whether variations in the collagen fibril network between neighboring ligaments can predict observed differences in mechanical behavior. Ligament specimens from two regions of bovine fetlock joints, which either exhibited highly aligned or disorganized collagen fibril networks, were mechanically tested in uniaxial tension. Confocal microscopy and FiberFit software were used to quantify the collagen fibril dispersion and mean fibril orientation in the mechanically tested specimens. These two structural parameters served as inputs into an established hyperelastic constitutive model that accounts for a continuous distribution of planar fibril orientations. The ability of the model to predict differences in the mechanical behavior between neighboring ligaments was tested by (1) curve fitting the model parameters to the stress response of the ligament with highly aligned fibrils and then (2) using this model to predict the stress response of the ligament with disorganized fibrils by only changing the parameter values for fibril dispersion and mean fibril orientation. This study found that when using parameter values for fibril dispersion and mean fibril orientation based on confocal imaging data, the model strongly predicted the average stress response of ligaments with disorganized fibrils ([Formula: see text]); however, the model only successfully predicted the individual stress response of ligaments with disorganized fibrils in half the specimens tested. Model predictions became worse when parameters for fibril dispersion and mean fibril orientation were not based on confocal imaging data. These findings emphasize the importance of collagen fibril alignment in ligament mechanics and help advance a mechanistic understanding of fibrillar networks in healthy and injured ligament.

This thesis is a part of a larger study about the characterization of mechanical and histomorphometrical properties of bone. The main objects of this study were the bone tissue properties and its resistance to mechanical loads. Moreover, the knowledge about the equipment selected to carry out the analyses, the micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), was improved. Particular attention was given to the reliability over time of the measuring instrument. In order to understand the main characteristics of bone mechanical properties a study of the skeletal, the bones of which it is composed and biological principles that drive their formation and remodelling, was necessary. This study has led to the definition of two macro-classes describing the main components responsible for the resistance to fracture of bone: quantity and quality of bone. The study of bone quantity is the current clinical standard measure for so-called bone densitometry, and research studies have amply demonstrated that the amount of tissue is correlated with its mechanical properties of elasticity and fracture. However, the models presented in the literature, including information on the mere quantity of tissue, have often been limited in describing the mechanical behaviour. Recent investigations have underlined that also the bone-structure and the tissue-mineralization play an important role in the mechanical characterization of bone tissue. For this reason in this thesis the class defined as bone quality was mainly studied, splitting it into two sub-classes of bone structure and tissue quality. A study on bone structure was designed to identify which structural parameters, among the several presented in the literature, could be integrated with the information about quantity, in order to better describe the mechanical properties of bone. In this way, it was also possible to analyse the iteration between structure and function. It has been known for long that bone tissue is capable of remodeling and changing its internal structure according to loads, but the dynamics of these changes are still being analysed. This part of the study was aimed to identify the parameters that could quantify the structural changes of bone tissue during the development of a given disease: osteoarthritis. A study on tissue quality would have to be divided into different classes, which would require a scale of analysis not suitable for the micro-CT. For this reason the study was focused only on the mineralization of the tissue, highlighting the difference between bone density and tissue density, working in a context where there is still an ongoing scientific debate.