Stress Distributions and Luminescent Responses of Mechanoluminescent Cylinders with Various Sizes and Loading Paths

Mechanoluminescent (ML) materials emit light by trapping and releasing charge carriers under mechanical stress. However, previous studies do not fully reveal the relationship between emitting light intensity and mechanical stress, thereby affecting the accuracy of stress measurement. This study addresses this gap by systematically investigating ML cylinders with various sizes and loading paths using theoretical analysis and simulations, focusing on the maximum contact stress, equivalent stress distribution, and the relationship between the strain energy density and light intensity at the point of maximum contact stress. In combination with experiments, the mechanical behavior and optical responses of ML cylinders under normal compressive forces reveal that the luminescence intensity is closely related to cylinder size and loading path, effectively reflecting stress distributions in objects of different sizes under complex stress conditions. Particularly, within the elastic range and under ideal conditions where lateral stress is ignored, the maximum contact stress is nearly equal to the equivalent stress. The equivalent stress is linearly related to the light intensity, while the strain energy density at the maximum contact stress point is proportional to the square root of the light intensity. This work promotes the application of ML materials in structural health monitoring and stress visualization.