Constitutive Models & Damage

Numerical models that capture the nonlinear, time-dependent behavior of thin polymer films and composite materials are a key element of our effort to produce accurate numerical simulations for lightweight structures. Our efforts are focused in three areas: nonlinear, large strain, viscoelastic models for LLDPE film (used in the NASA superpressure balloons); on the effects of stowage time and temperature on deployable composite structures; and on the micromechanics of fiber-reinforced silicone.