Analysis of Hyperelastic Structures-A Brief Review

Elastomers are special type of polymers, which are made of long, flexible or string like molecules. Each chain is joined to the nearby chains, known as crosslinks. The process known as Vulcanization adds these crosslinks. The excellent properties of application of these materials make them applicable in variety of fields. Depending on the component application and the type of hyperelastic material thus used, appropriate tests are conducted and the stress-strain data is recorded and the materials constants are calculated using the curve fitting procedures provided by the finite element software. These constants are further used in the non-linear analysis of a trunk door seal. The analysis showed that the stress in the seal is 1.286 N/mm² for a deformation of about 63mm when the door operates.