Volumetric-Distortional Decomposition of Deformation and Elasticity Tensor

Abstract

The deformation gradient admits a multiplicative decomposition into a purely volumetric component and a purely distortional component. For a hyperelastic material, based on this decomposition, the elastic strain energy potential, the stress, and the elasticity tensor can be expressed in general as a function of both the volumetric deformation and the distortional deformation. However, the volumetric—distortional decomposition of deformation has often been employed in a fully decoupled form of the elastic strain energy potential, which is expressed as the sum of a term depending solely on the volumetric deformation and a term depending solely on the distortional deformation. This work has three main objectives. First, to derive the elasticity tensor in the general (non-decoupled) case, in its material, spatial, and linear forms; this is achieved by extensive use of fourth-order tensor algebra, and in particular of the properties of the so-called spherical operator, which is largely used, but very seldom given the dignity of being assigned a symbol and a name, in the literature. Second, to show that a fully decoupled potential gives rise to an elasticity tensor which may be inconsistent with its linearized counterpart, as some components of the linear elasticity tensor in general do not have a corresponding term in nonlinear decoupled elasticity tensor. Third, to obtain the conditions under which a purely hydrostatic stress causes a purely volumetric deformation, by means of the developed theory; the results show that this condition is satisfied if and only if the elastic potential is fully decoupled. While the whole approach is completely independent of the material symmetry, the cases of isotropy and transverse isotropy are shown as an example.