Visco-hyperelastic Model Research Articles

Biomechanical behaviors and visco-hyperelastic mechanical properties of human hernia patches with polypropylene mesh

As popular medical devices, human hernia patches woven with polypropylene meshes are very popular in clinical abdominal leak repair surgery, owing to their good flexibility and elasticity. However, research on the mechanical properties of polypropylene materials remains at a superficial level, and current medical professionals generally lack awareness of the biomechanical properties of hernia repair. In this study, a dynamic ramp test under a body temperature environment and characterization of a quasi-linear viscoelastic and Gasser-Ogden-Holzapfel (QLV-HGO) visco-hyperelastic constitutive model were conducted on strip specimens of a hernia patch weaved with a polypropylene mesh with a specific microstructure. A finite element numerical model virtually reproduced the visco-hyperelastic mechanical state of the stretched polypropylene hernia patch with constitutive parameters. The results indicate that the nonlinear mechanical response of the polypropylene mesh is closely related to its deformation range and rate. The strips exhibit excellent visco-hyperelastic mechanical properties and can be well characterized by the QLV-HGO constitutive model. The structure and biomechanics of hernia patches are further clarified, making this study beneficial in providing theoretical guidance for hernia repair surgery.

A three-dimensional fractional visco-hyperelastic model for soft materials

Soft materials have attracted widespread attention and brought a wave of novel potential applications. Accurate mechanical characterization is crucial for improving the ration design of the desired soft elements and understanding the influence of deformation properties on themselves. However, the intrinsic complexity of mixed elasticity and viscosity in terms of their material property, posing new challenges for constitutive modeling. In this work, a fractional visco-hyperelastic constitutive model is developed by introducing the fractional viscoelasticity into finite strain: two branches are incorporated where a hyperelastic spring is used to describe the equilibrium response, and a non-linear fractional dashpot is introduced to characterize the time-dependent material response by employing the 3D fractional viscoelasticity. It provides a method from the perspective of fractional mechanics to avoid the increased number of governing equations and the associated complex calibration process caused by introducing the internal variables. The results show that the proposed model can successfully describe the rate dependent mechanical behavior of soft materials as well as predict the material behavior in different deformation modes with reasonable accuracy.

Development and validation of subject-specific 3D human head models based on a nonlinear visco-hyperelastic constitutive framework

Computational head models are promising tools for understanding and predicting traumatic brain injuries. Most available head models are developed using inputs (i.e. head geometry, material properties and boundary conditions) from experiments on cadavers or animals and employ hereditary integral-based constitutive models that assume linear viscoelasticity in part of the rate-sensitive material response. This leads to high uncertainty and poor accuracy in capturing the nonlinear brain tissue response. To resolve these issues, a framework for the development of subject-specific three-dimensional head models is proposed, in which all inputs are derived in vivo from the same living human subject: head geometry via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), brain tissue properties via magnetic resonance elastography (MRE), and full-field strain-response of the brain under rapid head rotation via tagged MRI. A nonlinear, viscous dissipation-based visco-hyperelastic constitutive model is employed to capture brain tissue response. Head models are validated using quantitative metrics that compare spatial strain distribution, temporal strain evolution, and the magnitude of strain maxima, with the corresponding experimental observations from tagged MRI. Results show that our head models accurately capture the strain-response of the brain. Further, employment of the nonlinear visco-hyperelastic constitutive framework provides improvements in the prediction of peak strains and temporal strain evolution over hereditary integral-based models.

Tensile Mechanical Properties and Dynamic Constitutive Model of Polyurea Elastomer under Different Strain Rates.

In order to clearly explain the large deformation mechanical characteristics of polyurea under impact and to construct a dynamic model that can be used for finite element analysis, two kinds of polyurea materials were prepared by formula design, and their uniaxial tensile properties were tested with strain rates ranging from 10−3~103 s−1 using an electronic universal testing machine and a split Hopkinson tensile bar (SHTB). The tensile stress–strain curves of polyurea were obtained under different strain rates. The difference in tensile mechanical properties of the materials was analyzed under dynamic loading and quasi-static loading. Based on the nonlinear viscoelastic theory and the energy dissipation rate inequality, a dynamic visco-hyperelastic constitutive model of polyurea elastomer was established. The research results showed that the uniaxial tensile stress–strain curves of two kinds of polyurea at different strain rates had obvious nonlinear characteristics and strain rate sensitivity and that their tensile strength increased with increased strain rate. The polyurea gradually changed from exhibiting rubbery mechanical behavior under quasi-static loading to glassy mechanical behavior under dynamic loading. The fitting analysis of experimental data and the results of finite element simulation showed that the dynamic constitutive model can predict the nonlinear mechanical behavior of polyurea elastomers over a wide range of strain rates. The research results could contribute to a deepening of the understanding of the damage and failure behavior of polyurea under impact load and provide a theoretical basis for numerical studies on impact safety design of polyurea-coated protective structures.

Experimental investigations of the human oesophagus: anisotropic properties of the embalmed mucosa–submucosa layer under large deformation

Mechanical characterisation of the layer-specific, viscoelastic properties of the human oesophagus is crucial in furthering the development of devices emerging in the field, such as robotic endoscopic biopsy devices, as well as in enhancing the realism, and therefore effectiveness, of surgical simulations. In this study, the viscoelastic and stress-softening behaviour of the passive human oesophagus was investigated through ex vivo cyclic mechanical tests. Due to restrictions placed on the laboratory as a result of COVID-19, only oesophagi from cadavers fixed in formalin were allowed for testing. Three oesophagi in total were separated into their two main layers and the mucosa–submucosa layer was investigated. A series of uniaxial tensile tests were conducted in the form of increasing stretch level cyclic tests at two different strain rates: 1% s^{-1} and 10% s^{-1}. Rectangular samples in both the longitudinal and circumferential directions were tested to observe any anisotropy. Histological analysis was also performed through a variety of staining methods. Overall, the longitudinal direction was found to be much stiffer than the circumferential direction. Stress-softening was observed in both directions, as well as permanent set and hysteresis. Strain rate-dependent behaviour was also apparent in the two directions, with an increase in strain rate resulting in an increase in stiffness. This strain rate dependency was more pronounced in the longitudinal direction than the circumferential direction. Finally, the results were discussed in regard to the histological content of the layer, and the behaviour was modelled and validated using a visco-hyperelastic matrix-fibre model.

A visco-hyperelastic constitutive model of human periodontal ligament and the verification with finite element method

The scientific basis of orthodontics is physics and Newtonian mechanics applied to the tooth-periodontal ligament-bone biologic system. The mechanical response of the periodontal ligament (PDL) to forces has a significant impact on bone remodelling and tooth movement. At the early stages, orthodontists mainly evaluated the PDL mechanical properties by in vitro experiments, which guided the use of forces in the orthodontic process. With the development of computers, finite element (FE) methods were increasingly used in the study of orthodontics. The phenomena and results of PDL mechanical tests are abstracted into constitutive equations. The identified constitutive equations are then implemented in finite element software. The finite element method could be used to simulate in vitro and in vivo experiments and predict the response of PDL under various complex working conditions. A visco-hyperelastic constitutive model is proposed and implemented in finite element technique based on prior static mechanical experiments of human PDL. Some complex experimental conditions are simulated to discuss the properties of the constitutive model.

A 3D anisotropic visco-hyperelastic constitutive model for unidirectional continuous fiber reinforced shape memory composites

A general 3D anisotropic visco-hyperelastic constitutive model for unidirectional continuous fiber reinforced shape memory composites (SMPCs) is proposed based on energy decomposition. The total energy of SMPCs is decomposed into isotropic part from matrix and anisotropic part from fiber reinforcements, respectively. The matrix part is further decomposed into hyperelastic part and visco-hyperelastic part. Meanwhile, a temperature-dependent energy contribution weight factor is introduced to define the variation of energy contribution of matrix and fibers with phase transition in the thermodynamic process and shape memory cycle. The proposed model is demonstrated on a carbon fiber reinforced SPMC. Thermomechanical and shape memory tests of SMP and SMPCs with different fiber inclination angles are carried out and simulated with the proposed model. Comparisons between simulation results and experimental data validate the proposed model.

Identification of a visco-hyperelastic model for mandibular periosteum

In this paper, a visco-hyperelastic model representing the mechanical behavior of the human mandibular periosteum as an anisotropic and homogeneous material is identified. Different models, extracted from the literature, are tested and associated in order to describe the elastic and visco-elastic contributions of the cellular matrix on one hand and the collagen fibers on the other hand. The parameters of these models are determined using five human mandibular periosteum. Each harvested sample is cut and tested, at two different velocities, either longitudinally or transversely to collagen fibers main direction. The hyperelastic and visco-elastic contributions of the cellular matrix are extracted using tensile tests performed transversely. The hyperelastic and visco-elastic contributions of the collagen fibers are extracted using tensile tests performed longitudinally. In a second time, the identified combination of models is validated using twelve samples only tested longitudinally. The selected combination uses the simplified Rivlin’s 2nd order law to model the hyper-elasticity of the cellular matrix, the Kulkarni’s law to model its visco-elasticity contribution, and the Kulkarni’s laws to model the whole contributions of collagen fibers.

Mechanical behavior and constitutive model of NEPE solid propellant in finite deformation

Nitrate ester plasticized polyether (NEPE) solid propellant was widely used in carrier rocket and guided missiles, owing to its excellent mechanical properties, high specific impulse and good performance of low temperature storage. The material of NEPE suffered from thermal cycle, high pressure impulse and vibration during service life. Thus, the mechanical properties of NEPE had important implications for the safety of structure and service life. Experimental results indicated that the material presents significant time-dependence and nonlinear characteristics. In order to clarify the damage mechanism of NEPE solid propellant, the mesostructure evolution was investigated with the 3D in-situ observations by using synchrotron radiation computed tomography (SR-CT). The voids initiated at the interface between matrix and particles and propagated along the loading direction. With the increasing of loading, matrix breaking, particles breaking and debonded particles were observed in the near-surface regions. Furthermore, a visco-hyperelastic constitutive model coupling damage was proposed to describe the mechanical behavior of NEPE under finite deformation. The constitutive model provides a good simulation with experimental results, which is meaningful to the structure integrity assessment of NEPE solid propellant.

Parametric visco-hyperelastic constitutive modeling of functionally graded 3D printed polymers

Grayscale masked vat photopolymerization (MSLA) 3D printing enables the fabrication of graded structures from a single material, overcoming a major limitation of vat photopolymerization methods. Two main parameters affecting the curing of the resin in vat photopolymerization , and thus the resulting material properties, are the exposure time per layer and the intensity of the ultraviolet light, which can be regulated in terms of the grayscale value of the mask. Here, the concept of grayscale MSLA is extended by combining these two easily adjustable parameters into a single parameter, which we call the grayscale exposure. Then, a parametric visco-hyperelastic constitutive model is formulated for the strain rate-dependent behavior of the resulting material in finite deformations, which depends on the grayscale exposure. Hyperbolic tangent functions are utilized to express the dependency of the material coefficients in terms of grayscale exposure. The advantage of expressing the material model in terms of grayscale exposure is not only the reduction of design parameters from two to one, but also the fact that the printing time can be reduced through the correlation of exposure time and grayscale. Furthermore, the grayscale exposure values are verified through a comparison of different couples of grayscale and exposure time. Finally, the constitutive model is validated against further experimental results, showing a good agreement. In summary, the main contributions of this manuscript are the systematic investigation of the correlation of process parameters with rate-dependent mechanical properties, the unification of light intensity and layer printing time into the grayscale exposure as a single adjustable design parameter, as well as the development of a parametric visco-hyperelastic constitutive model and its experimental identification and verification.

A nonlinear visco-hyperelastic model for spray polyurea and applications

Spray polyurea (SPUA) is widely used as a protective coating material for engineering structures subjected to the intensive impulsive loadings attributed to its large deformation and viscoelastic properties. Both experimental and theoretical studies of the hyperelastic and viscoelastic behaviors of SPUA, as well as the applications in the numerical simulations of the SPUA retrofitted structures under impact and blast loadings were conducted. Firstly, the reasonable geometries and dimensions of specimens are designed, and the complete compressive stress-strain curves of SPUA with the strain rate ranging from 10−3-103 s−1 were experimentally derived. The dependences of the dynamic initial elastic modulus, stress and fracture strain on the strain rate are formulated. It indicates that the initial elastic modulus and stress increase as the strain rate increases, while the fracture strain is linearly negatively correlated with the logarithm of strain rates. Then, a twenty-four-parameter nonlinear visco-hyperelastic constitutive model composed of a hyperelastic model and seven Prony series terms is established and validated, in which the model parameters are determined through a multi-objective optimization based on genetic algorithm. Finally, by evaluating the existing sixteen constitutive models embedded in finite element program LS-DYNA, the Simplified rubber/foam model is selected for describing the mechanical behavior of SPUA. The Simplified rubber/foam model parameters are further calibrated by the established nonlinear visco-hyperelastic model and comprehensively validated by comparisons with six series of impact and explosion tests on the SPUA, SPUA retrofitted steel plate and masonry wall. The present work could provide a helpful reference for the design and evaluation of the SPUA retrofitted structures.

Modeling permanent deformation during low-cycle fatigue: Application to the pelvic floor muscles during labor

Low cycle fatigue (between two to hundreds of cycles) is associated with large permanent strains and the development of microdamage that can start as soon as the first cycle. It has been identified as a possible damage mechanism in the anterior cruciate ligament and recently was evaluated as a potential damage mechanism at the origin of the pubovisceral muscle (a pelvic floor muscle) near the end of labor. The purpose of this work is to provide a numerical framework that incorporates the effects of permanent deformation due to low-cycle fatigue. Based on experimental evidence, we hypothesize that the microdamage accumulation due to repetitive sub-maximal loading continuously induces macroscopic permanent deformations that adversely affect the tissue mechanical properties and thereby cause stress softening. The constitutive model is suitable for 3D finite element analysis. The model was first tested against simple numerical examples, where quadratic convergence and objectivity were verified. Next, we applied the approach to a human vaginal delivery, employing a transversely isotropic visco-hyperelastic baseline model. It demonstrated the potential of this numerical framework for simulating permanent deformation in pelvic floor muscles during birth. With robust experimental data, this can be an important tool to analyze the obstetrical risk factors for the pelvic floor permanent deformation associated with the development of pelvic organ prolapse later in life.

Static and dynamic compressive and tensile response of highly stretchable polyurea

The mechanical response of highly stretchable polyurea elastomer at various strain rates is investigated via experiments, theoretical analysis, and numerical modeling. Experiments encompassing quasi-static and dynamic (SHPB/SHTB - split Hopkinson pressure/tension bar) mechanical tests, as well as drop-weight impact tests, are undertaken to identify the nonlinear and rate-dependent relationship between tensile/compressive true stress and deformation of the polyurea studied. Subsequently, a compressible visco-hyperelastic constitutive model for the material is established based on the summation of Cauchy stress components. The proposed model yields good agreement with experimental data, as well as a better description of the tensile response at stretch rates of 103 s−1 than other models (e.g., the YSL2000 model (Yang et al., 2000) and the SYLL2004 model (Shim et al., 2004)). The model is implemented in the commercial finite element code Abaqus/Explicit via a user-defined material (VUMAT) subroutine. Homogenous deformation modes of polyurea, i.e., uniaxial compression and tension, are accurately captured, and non-uniform deformation of polyurea, corresponding to impact by a hemispherically-tipped drop weight, which induces both compression and tension, is also well described. Finally, it is demonstrated that the proposed model is able to characterize the dynamic response of other polyureas reported in literature. The present study is helpful for the design and development of blast and impact-resistant polyurea protective coatings.

Development and Validation of a New Anisotropic Visco-Hyperelastic Human Head Finite Element Model Capable of Predicting Multiple Brain Injuries

This paper reports on the latest refinement of the Finite Element Global Human Body Models Consortium 50th percentile (GHBMC M50) adult male head model by the development and incorporation of a new material model into the white matter tissue of the brain. The white matter is represented by an anisotropic visco-hyperelastic material model capable of simulating direction-dependent response of the brain tissue to further improve the bio-fidelity and injury predictive capability of the model. The parameters representing the material were optimized by comparing model responses to seven experimentally reported strain responses of brains of postmortem human subjects (PMHS) subjected to head impact. The head model was subjected to rigorous validation against experimental data on force–deflection responses in the skull and face, intracranial pressure, and brain strain responses from over 34 PMHS head impact experiments. Crash-induced injury indices (CIIs) for facial bone fracture, skull fracture, cerebral contusion, acute subdural hematomas (ASDHs), and diffuse brain injury were developed by reconstructing 32 PMHS and real-world injury cases with the model. Model predicted maximum principal strain (MPS) and stress were determined as fracture CIIs for compact bone and spongy bones, respectively, in the skull and face. Brain responses in terms of MPS, MPS rates, and pressure distribution in injury producing experimental impacts were determined using the model and analyzed with logistic regression and survival analysis to develop CIIs for brain contusions, diffuse brain injuries, and ASDH. The statistical models using logistic regression and survival analysis showed high accuracy with area under the receiver operating curve greater than 0.8. Because of lack of sufficient moderate diffuse brain injury data, a statistical model was not created, but all indications are that the MPS rate is an essential brain response that discriminates between moderate and severe brain injuries. The authors stated that the current GHBMC M50 v.6.0 is an advanced tool for injury prediction and mitigation of injuries in automotive crashes, sports, recreational, and military environments.

Revealing the nonlinear mechanical behavior of white matter brain tissue by analyzing the asynchronous deformation and damage of matrix and axonal fibers

The mechanical behavior of the brain plays a vital role in regulating brain morphology and brain function. The experimental results show that the brain tissue behaves with strong nonlinearity, heterogeneity, loading rate and direction dependence, and complicated damage behavior. However, the underlying mechanism attributed to the interlacement of extremely soft matrix and complex axonal fibers network in white matter brain tissue is still not well understood. In this work, the nonlinear mechanical behavior of white matter brain tissue is analyzed by developing a mesoscale visco-hyperelastic constitutive model that considers isotropic matrix and anisotropic axonal fibers separately. Based on the diffusion tensor imaging data, the generalized structure tensor is introduced to reflect axonal fiber's orientation and distribution characteristics in different parts of white matter. Furthermore, the damage models of matrix and axonal fibers are established to characterize their damage evolution differences. In particular, a damage initiation criterion based on the equivalent strain of axonal fibers stretch is proposed by analogy with the Tsai-Hill criterion, according to the distribution characteristics of axonal fibers. Then the mesoscale constitutive model is applied to reveal the effects of matrix and axonal fibers on the deformation and damage of white matter. On the one hand, it is found that the “S-shaped” nonlinear stress curve of white matter in uniaxial tension is the superposition of the convex stress curve of matrix and the “J-shaped” stress curve of axonal fibers, and the nonlinearity is stronger with the increase of strain rate. On the other hand, with the change of the distribution of axonal fibers from uniaxially oriented to dispersed, the anisotropy of white matter caused by the stress reinforcement of axonal fibers gradually evolves from transverse isotropy to isotropy. With the increase of strain rate, the reinforcement effect of axonal fibers tends to be more isotropic, and the proportion of isotropic matrix stress is increased, resulting in the isotropic tendency of white matter. Moreover, the asynchrony of matrix and axonal fibers damage also results in the complex transition of white matter deformation behavior. Along with the increase of deformation, the anisotropic mechanical behavior of white matter rapidly degenerates to isotropy with the damage of axonal fibers. Overall, the strong coupling of nonlinear, anisotropic, and strain rate-dependent mechanical behaviors of white matter is well explained by combining the asynchronous deformation and damage of matrix and axonal fibers in this study. It will help understand brain injury, brain growth and development, physiological brain diseases, and other relevant problems.

An n-sided polygonal selective smoothed finite element method for nearly incompressible visco-hyperelastic soft materials

In this article, an n-sided polygonal smoothed finite element (nSFEM) is formulated for dynamic analyses of nonlinear problems of visco-hyperelastic materials undergoing large deformations. Two types of smoothing domains are constructed for mesh of n-sided polygonal elements. Using the gradient smoothing technique, the calculation of the strain-displacement matrix requires only the shape function values rather than the derivatives of shape function. The simple averaging point interpolation technique is used to calculate the values of the shape functions on the boundary of different smoothing domains. The Total Lagrangian formulation is used to deal with the nonlinear dynamic analysis of soft materials with finite strain. The polygonal FEM with Wachspress coordinate is also implemented for comparison. To overcome volumetric locking, selective smoothing domain scheme is used to calculate the smoothing nodal internal force. To analyze the time-dependent mechanical behavior of soft materials, a constitutive update algorithm for explicit time-integration is implemented based on the generalized Maxwell visco-hyperelastic model. A number of numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the high precision and super convergence, and robustness of the present nS-FEM for incompressible visco-hyperelastic problems.

Modeling Payne effect on basis of linearization of a visco-hyperelastic model

The present work concerns the modeling of the Payne effect in nonlinear viscoelasticity. This effect is a characteristic property of filled elastomers. Indeed, under cyclic loading of increasing amplitude, a decrease is shown in the storage modulus and a peak in the loss modulus. In this study, the Payne effect is assumed to arise from a change of the material microstructure, i.e. the thixotropy. The so-called intrinsic time or shift time was inferred from solving a differential equation that represents the evolution of a material’s microstructure. Then, the physical time is replaced by the shift time in the framework of a recent fractional visco-hyperelastic model, which was linearized in the neighborhood of a static pre-deformation. As a result, we have investigated the effects of static pre-deformation, frequency, and magnitude of dynamic strain on storage and loss moduli in the steady state. Thereafter, the same set of parameters identified from the complex Young’s modulus was used to predict the stress in the pre-deformed configuration. Finally, it is demonstrated that the proposed model is reasonably accurate in predicting Payne effect.

Société de Biomécanique Young Investigator Award 2021: Numerical investigation of the time-dependent stress–strain mechanical behaviour of skeletal muscle tissue in the context of pressure ulcer prevention

BackgroundPressure-induced tissue strain is one major pathway for Pressure Ulcer development and, especially, Deep Tissue Injury. Biomechanical investigation of the time-dependent stress–strain mechanical behaviour of skeletal muscle tissue is therefore essential. In the literature, a viscoelastic formulation is generally assumed for the experimental characterization of skeletal muscles, with the limitation that the underlying physical mechanisms that give rise to the time dependent stress–strain behaviour are not known. The objective of this study is to explore the capability of poroelasticity to reproduce the apparent viscoelastic behaviour of passive muscle tissue under confined compression. MethodsExperimental stress-relaxation response of 31 cylindrical porcine samples tested under fast and slow confined compression by Vaidya and collaborators were used. An axisymmetric Finite Element model was developed in ABAQUS and, for each sample a one-to-one inverse analysis was performed to calibrate the specimen-specific constitutive parameters, namely, the drained Young's modulus, the void ratio, hydraulic permeability, the Poisson's ratio, the solid grain's and fluid's bulk moduli. FindingsThe peak stress and consolidation were recovered for most of the samples (N=25) by the poroelastic model (normalised root-mean-square error ≤0.03 for fast and slow confined compression conditions). InterpretationThe strength of the proposed model is its fewer number of variables (N=6 for the proposed poroelastic model versus N=18 for the viscohyperelastic model proposed by Vaidya and collaborators). The incorporation of poroelasticity to clinical models of Pessure Ulcer formation could lead to more precise and mechanistic explorations of soft tissue injury risk factors.

Programmable self-folding of trilayer and bilayer-hinge structures by time-dependent swelling of tough hydrogels

Inspired by nature, active materials are used to developed complex 3D configurations considering their specific characteristics. One of the shape-shifting methods in smart structures is utilizing programmable materials in self-folding structures. Hydrogels due to their biocompatibility, controllable functionalities, large reversible deformations, and their sensitivity to environmental stimuli are vital candidates to be used in self-folding structures. To avoid the mechanical weakness of conventional hydrogels, in this paper polyampholyte tough hydrogel is inspected considering a transient electro-chemo-mechanical constitutive model combining a visco-hyperelastic model with Nernst-Planck and Poisson’s equations. After calibrating the material parameters and verifying the accuracy of the model and its implementation, we present two approaches in order to generate self-folding hydrogel-based structures: polymer structure with bilayer hinges and trilayer structure composed of a hydrogel film sandwiched between two elastomer layers. Next, diverse factors are examined in the self-folding of smart structures which conforms with experimental test data, including hydrogel swelling, structure thickness and stiffness, bilayer configuration and composition, the width of the bilayer as well as opening width in trilayer and layers thickness. Finally, several transient self-folding of 2D flat patterns which turn into 3D complex configurations are scrutinized such as the closure of box, pyramids, and flower-shaper gripper.

Nonlinear visco-hyperelastic tensile constitutive model of spray polyurea within wide strain-rate range

Spray polyurea (SPUA) is widely used as a protective coating material for structures subjected to the intensive impulsive loadings, attributed to its prominent large tensile deformation capacity and strain-rate hardening effect. This paper aims to study the tensile properties of SPUA within a wide strain-rate range both experimentally and theoretically. Firstly, by reasonably designing the geometry and dimension of specimens, a series of quasi-static and dynamic uniaxial tensile tests were carried out, and the nonlinear stress-strain curves corresponding to the strain-rates ranging from 10−3 s−1 to 103 s−1 were obtained. It showed that the mechanical properties of SPUA are sensitive to the strain-rate, i.e., the elastic modulus and tensile stress increase with the rising of the strain-rate, while the fracture strain is linearly negatively correlated with the logarithm of strain-rate. Then, a nonlinear visco-hyperelastic (NVHE) constitutive model composed of a 3rd-order polynomial hyperelastic model and seven Prony series terms describing the viscoelastic properties were established, and the corresponding twenty-three model parameters were calibrated through a multi-objective optimization based on genetic algorithm. Furthermore, based on the finite element program ABAQUS/Explicit, the validations of the proposed NVHE model and the parameters determination approach are verified by the present tensile test and existing drop hammer impact test. This work could provide a helpful reference for the retrofitting design of the protective structures.