Comprehensive constitutive modeling and analysis of multi-elastic polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) for wearable device...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Computational Mechanics
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is a key material in wearable devices.
• Accurate computational modeling of PDMS mechanical properties is crucial for finite element method (FEM) simulations.
• Existing models may not encompass the wide range of PDMS elasticity required for diverse applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the optimal hyperelastic constitutive model for polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) that accurately represents its mechanical properties across a broad range of elasticities.
• To develop a parameter correlation plot for PDMS to facilitate its use in finite element method (FEM) simulations.
• To validate the developed model through experimental testing and analyze its applicability to common mechanical deformations in wearable devices.

Main Methods:

• Fitted Mooney-Rivlin 5 parameters as the best hyperelastic model against experimental PDMS data.
• Constructed a parameter correlation plot combining PDMS data of varying elasticities.
• Performed experimental validation using 3D-printed PDMS samples.
• Conducted simulations of basic mechanical deformations (compression, stretching, bending, twisting).

Main Results:

• The Mooney-Rivlin 5-parameter model demonstrated superior fitting to experimental PDMS data.
• Experimental validation showed good agreement between FEM simulations and actual PDMS sample behavior.
• Simulations accurately reflected the mechanical responses of PDMS under various deformation modes relevant to wearable devices.
• Analysis confirmed the model's applicability across different PDMS concentrations and moduli.

Conclusions:

• The Mooney-Rivlin 5-parameter model provides an accurate and versatile framework for simulating PDMS mechanical behavior in FEM.
• The developed parameter correlation plot and validated model serve as a valuable resource for engineers and researchers designing wearable devices.
• This work enhances the predictive capability of computational simulations for flexible electronic and wearable applications using PDMS.