4 Constitutive Theory

4.9 Transversely Isotropic Elasticity

This section is devoted to the coordinate-free representation

of transversely isotropic elasticity, which is probably the sim-
plest kind of anisotropy one can conceive. The coordinate-
independent framework is obtained in terms of structural
tensors that describe the microstructure of the material un-
ME338A der consideration.
CONTINUUM MECHANICS

a
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lecture notes 17 NX
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Thursday, May 29, 2008

The microstructure of a transversely isotropic material can

be considered as a continuum reinforced by micro-fibers.
Common examples cover man-made fiber-reinforced com-
posites such as carbon nanotube loaded materials, automo-
bile tires, and natural collagenous biological tissues, to men-
tion a few.

The fibrous microstructure of a transversely isotropic ma-

terial possesses a well-defined preferred direction, which we
denote with the unit vector a, || a||=1. This is the key in-
formation that helps us to construct the symmetry group of
a transversely isotropic matter. As we mentioned in Sec-
tion 4.7, a symmetry group is defined by a set of rotations
that preserve the structural characteristics of the material on
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 4 Constitutive Theory 4 Constitutive Theory

micro-level. In the case of transverse isotropy, the symmetry Therefore, the new isotropic free energy also fulfills
group contains all rotations that do not alter the preferred
ψ̂( Q · C · Q T , M ) = ψ̂(C, M ) ∀ Q ∈ Gtransiso ⊂ SO(3) .
orientation a. These include the rotations of an arbitrary
amount about the axis a, i.e. Q!a and the rotations about (4.9.5)
the axis perpendicular to a by an amount of π, i.e. Qπ⊥a , that The representation theorem of general isotropic tensor func-
flip a horizontally. We have then the transversely isotropic tions of several arguments is based on the concept of in-
symmetry group defined as tegrity bases, which defines a minimum number of invariants
for a particular set of arguments of the energy storage func-
! "
Gtransiso := Q!a , Qπ⊥a . (4.9.1) tion. For two generic symmetric second order tensors, say A1
and A2, the irreducible integrity bases are given by
The underlying key idea of coordinate-free representation
of anisotropic materials is to introduce isotropic tensor func- I = { J1 ( A1 ), J2 ( A1 ), J3 ( A1 ), J1 ( A2 ), J2 ( A2 ), J3 ( A2 )
(4.9.6)
tions with extended set of arguments such that they remain J4 ( A1, A2 ), J5 ( A1, A2 ), J6 ( A1, A2 ), J7 ( A1, A2 )}
invariant under arbitrary rotations Q ∈ SO(3). This opens
where
up a possibility to recast an anisotropic constitutive function
into an isotropic one by means of the so-called structural ten- J1 ( Ai ) := tr( Ai ), J2 ( Ai ) := tr( A2i ), J3 ( Ai ) := tr( A3i )
sors. For the case of transverse isotropy, we have
are the basic invariants of respective tensors for i = 1, 2 and

J4 := tr( A1 · A2 ), J5 := tr( A21 · A2 ),

ψ = ψ̂(C, M ) with M := a ⊗ a . (4.9.2)
J6 := tr( A1 · A22 ), J7 := tr( A21 · A22 )
denoting the constant rank-one structural tensor. The free
energy function with the extended list of arguments is then denote the mixed invariants.
required to be an isotropic function, i.e. invariant under ar- In transversely isotropic elasticity we have the free energy
bitrary rotations Q ∈ SO(3) function depending upon the symmetric tensors A1 = C
and A3 = M. Since the structural tensor M is also constant
ψ̂( Q · C · QT , Q · M · QT ) = ψ̂(C, M ) ∀ Q ∈ SO(3) . (4.9.3)
and M n = M, the following identities
Since the rotations belonging to the symmetric group Gtransiso
preserve the direction a, the structural tensor M remains in- J3 ( M ) = tr( M 3 ) = tr( M 2 ) = tr( M ) ! J3 ( M ) = J2 ( M ) = J1 ( M )
variant under these rotations J6 = tr(C · M 2 ) = tr(C · M ) ! J6 = J4
2 2 2
Q·M·Q = M T
∀ Q ∈ Gtransiso . (4.9.4) J7 = tr(C · M ) = tr(C · M ) ! J7 = J5
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 4 Constitutive Theory 4 Constitutive Theory

reduce the integrity bases of transverse isotropy to The isotropic free energy function is taken to be identical to
the compressible neo-Hookean model we discussed in Sec-
I = { J1 (C ), J2 (C ), J3 (C ), J4 (C, M ), J5 (C, M ); J1 ( M )} (4.9.7)
tion 4.8.1
Since we also know that || a|| = 1, the basic invariant(s) of Λ Λ µ
ψ̂( I1, J ) = ( J 2 − 1) − (µ + ) ln J + ( I1 − 3) . (4.9.12)
the structural tensor are none other than J1 ( M ) = 1. There- 4 2 2
fore, it has no effect on the energy storage function. The ef- We then retrieve the stress expressions for the isotropic part
fective list of deformation-dependent invariants then boils ∂ψ̂ I Λ# 2
= µ ( 1 − C −1 ) + J − 1 C −1 ,
$
down to SI = 2
∂C 2
I = { J1 (C ), J2 (C ), J3 (C ), J4 (C, M ), J5 (C, M )} . (4.9.8) Λ# 2
P I = F · S I = µ( F − F −T ) + J − 1 F −T .
$
(4.9.13)
2
Since the basic invariants of C can be expressed in terms of For the anisotropic part of the free energy we consider the
the principal invariants following form
J1 = I1, J2 = I12 − 2I2, J3 = I13 − 3I1 I2 + 3I3 , ψ̂ A ( I1, I2, J4, J5 ) = α1 ( J4 − 1)2 + α2 [ J5 − I1 J4 + I2 − 1]
the set in (4.9.8) may be recast into + α2 ( J4 − I1 + 2) ,
(4.9.14)
I = { I1 (C ), I2 (C ), I3 (C ), J4 (C, M ), J5 (C, M )} . (4.9.9)
where α1 and α2 are the additional material parameters. Ge-
4.9.1 Extended Neo-Hookean Model of Transverse Isotropy ometrical interpretation of the kinematic terms appearing in
this free energy will make the meaning of these additional
We consider a model problem of transverse isotropty. The material parameters more transparent. The square of the
free energy is assumed to be given as stretch in the direction a is given by J4, i.e.
ψ = ψ̂ I ( I1, J ) + ψ̂ A ( I1, I2, J4, J5 ) , (4.9.10)

which is split into the purely isotropic ψ I and the anisotropic λ2a := || F · a||2 = ( F · a) · ( F · a) = C : ( a ⊗ a) = C : M ≡ J4 .
ψ A parts. This leads us to the additive form of the stresses Thus, the first non-linear term of the free energy governs the
amount energy stored due to the stretching of fibers, and
the material parameter α1 is closely related to the stiffness of
S = 2∂C ψ = S I + S A and P = PI + PA , (4.9.11)
these fibers. The second term in square brackets, however,
where S I :=2∂C ψ̂ I , S A :=2∂C ψ̂ A and P I := F · S I , P A := F · S A . measures the area stretch νa in the direction a . We compute
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 4 Constitutive Theory 4 Constitutive Theory

the square of the area stretch through the area map cof( F ) := The anisotropic part of the second Piola-Kirchhoff stresses is
JF −T shown to be
νa2 := || cof( F ) · a||2 = J 2 ( F −T · a) · ( F −T · a) = J 2 C −1 : M . S A = 4 α1 ( J4 − 1) M
In order to see the relation between this result and the sec- + 2 α2 [( M · C + C · M ) − C + ( I1 − J4 − 1)1 − ( I1 − 1) M ] ,
ond term of ψ̂ A , we recall the Cayley-Hamilton theorem
from which the first Piola-Kirchhoff stresses can readily be
C 3 − I1 C 2 + I2 C − I31 = 0 ,
computed through the push forward operation P A = F · S A .
which states that every second order tensor satisfies its char-
acteristic equation obtained in the eigenvalue problem. Mul- Uniaxial stress-stretch response of the transversely isotropic
tiplying this equation with C −1 and solving the result for model in two perpendicular directions is depicted below.
I3 C −1, we obtain Observe the fairly stiffer behavior in the direction coincid-
I3 C −1 = J 2 C −1 = C 2 − I1 C + I21 . ing with the preferred direction a.
Contraction of this result with the structural tensor M then
30
gives the square of the area stretch in the preferred direction Λ = 0.3 MPa
µ = 0.8 MPa a
−1 2
νa2 = J 2 C : M = C : M − I1 C : M + I21 : M 25
α1 = 0.1 MPa
α2 = 0.1 MPa
= J5 − I1 J4 + I2 . 20

P11 , P22 [MPa]

Therefore, the material parameter α2 can be conceived as the
15
stiffness of the isotropic matrix that surrounds the fibers. a

The third term α2 ( J4 − I1 + 2) in ψ̂ A is introduced to have 10

a stress-free state in the undeformed configuration. Compu-
tation of the stress contributions from the anisotropic part 5

requires the knowledge of the following derivatives

0
1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4
λ [−]
2∂C I1 = 2∂C (C : 1) = 2 1 ,
2∂C I2 = 2∂C 12 ( I12 − C 2 : 1) = 2 ( I11 − C ) ,
2∂C J4 = 2∂C (C : M ) = 2 M ,
2∂C J5 = 2∂C (C 2 : M ) = 2 ( M · C + C · M ) .
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