Dynamic behaviour of soft and low density materials

Scope

Research has been successfully focused on bulk and dense materials such as metals. Recently new challenges and needs have arisen in terms of autonomy, lightweight, environmental compatible design, and cost effectiveness seeking for a novel class of materials.This is how polymers, composites, foams, specially designed or bio-based materials arouse today increasing interests, especially in dynamic loading applications.

Since many of existing dynamic experimental techniques were originally developed for metals, adaptations or new developments are required to meet the specific characteristics of materials such as large and heterogeneous strains, low strength, density or stiffness. In addition, new or dedicated methods are also necessary to capture and understand the deformation, damage and failure mechanisms.

Moreover, those materials can exhibit complex mechanical behaviours such as inter-specimen variability for natural materials, anisotropy, viscoelasticity, stress relaxation, compaction, and strong sensitivity to strain rate and temperature, ductile/brittle behaviour transition under dynamic loading. This is why specific and also multiscale approaches are under development for characterisation and modelling.

Finally, in order to provide a better understanding or to predict the dynamic response of structures involving such materials, numerical simulations are carried out. Only few models have already been implemented in commercial codes for these types of materials. On the other hand, these materials usually involve multiple interfaces, complex damage and failure modes which necessitate the numerical methods to be adapted or further developed.

Topics

We are looking forward to getting contributions including, but not limited to, the following topics:

• Dynamic mechanical testing of soft, low density and low impedance materials (polymers, fibre-reinforced composites, fabrics, gels, foams, bio-sourced and bio materials, porous and specially designed materials).
• Modelling and numerical methods: Finite-element/discrete-element methods, linear/non-linear fracture mechanics, damage models, plasticity models, etc.
• Industrial applications: shock absorbers, lightweight applications, defence, automotive, aerospace, medical, sport industries, transport, etc.