Hyperelasticity

While most conventional metals undergo plastic deformation at very small to moderate strains, there is a class of non-metallic materials that can exhibit elastic behavior at strains as high as 30% or more, while developing very little or no detectable plastic strain. In this Ansys Innovation Course on “Hyperelasticity”, we will introduce these special materials, their physical characteristics, the laws that capture their behavior, and the challenges associated with calibration. We will discuss formal definitions and mathematical formulations used for quantifying important characteristics unique to these materials. We will also study some practical examples to help reinforce an understanding of the theories and their physical meaning. Upon completion of this course, students should be able to predict the performance of hyperelastic materials in challenging nonlinear applications and make informed engineering decisions to arrive at an optimal design solution.