Configurational Mechanics of Soft Materials: Revolutionising Geometrically Nonlinear Fracture

Introduction

SoftFrac will revolutionise geometrically nonlinear fracture mechanics of soft materials (in short soft fracture) by capitalising on configurational mechanics, an unconventional continuum formulation that I helped shape over the past decades. Mastering soft fracture will result in disruptive progress in designing the failure resilience of soft devices, i.e. soft robotics, stretchable electronics, and tissue engineering applications.

Challenges of Soft Materials

Soft materials are challenging since they can display moduli as low as only a few kPa, thus allowing for extremely large deformations. Geometrically linear fracture mechanics is well established; nevertheless, it is not applicable for soft fracture given the over-restrictive assumptions of infinitesimal deformations.

Need for Nonlinear Models

The appropriate geometrically nonlinear, finite deformation counterpart is, however, still in its infancy. By combining innovative data-driven/data-adaptive constitutive modelling with novel configurational-force-driven fracture onset and crack propagation, I will overcome the fundamental obstacles to date preventing significant progress in soft fracture.

Research Threads

I propose three interwoven research threads jointly addressing challenging theoretical, computational, and experimental problems in soft fracture:

1. Theoretical Thread: Establishes a new constitutive modelling ansatz for soft in/elastic materials and develops the transformational configurational fracture approach.
2. Computational Thread: Provides the associated novel algorithmic setting and delivers high-fidelity discretisation schemes to numerically follow crack propagation driven by accurately determined configurational forces.
3. Experimental Thread: Generates and analyses comprehensive experimental data of soft materials and their geometrically nonlinear fracture for properly calibrating and validating the theoretical and computational developments.

Conclusion

Ultimately, SoftFrac, for the first time, opens up new horizons for holistically exploring the nascent field of soft fracture.