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Microfluidic Preparation of Liquid Crystalline Elastomer Actuators
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Fracture of liquid crystal elastomers.

Yu Zhou1, Chen Wei1, Lihua Jin1

  • 1Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|September 16, 2025
PubMed
Summary

This study investigates fracture behavior in liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs). We found that crack paths in LCEs are influenced by director alignment and stretching rate, and developed a model to predict these complex behaviors.

Keywords:
fractureliquid crystal elastomerphase field fracturestress-director coupling

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Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Polymer Science
  • Mechanics of Materials

Background:

  • Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) are advanced materials with unique anisotropic and viscoelastic properties.
  • While LCE mechanical responses are well-studied, their fracture behavior and underlying mechanisms remain largely unexplored.
  • Existing knowledge gaps include the impact of deformation-director coupling on LCE fracture paths and the absence of established fracture criteria.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the fracture propagation behavior in liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs).
  • To explore the influence of initial director orientation and stretching rate on LCE fracture paths.
  • To establish predictive models for LCE fracture behavior.

Main Methods:

  • Experimental stretching of edge-cracked monodomain LCE samples.
  • Recording stress-stretch responses and observing crack propagation paths under varied conditions.
  • Development and validation of a rate-dependent phase-field fracture model.

Main Results:

  • Observed that cracks in LCEs can dynamically change direction during propagation.
  • Demonstrated a strong dependence of crack path complexity on the initial director orientation and stretching rate.
  • Validated a phase-field fracture model capable of accurately predicting complex LCE fracture paths.

Conclusions:

  • The study elucidates the critical role of director-deformation coupling in LCE fracture.
  • A validated computational model is presented for predicting LCE fracture behavior.
  • Findings provide a foundation for designing LCEs with improved fracture resistance for advanced applications.