Mechanics of extended continua: Modeling and simulation of elastic microstretch materials (Q1015673)

The authors carefully re-derive Eringen's equations for so-called microstretch materials, providing thus a natural setting for numerical modelling by means of the finite element method. An appropriate Helmholtz free energy is postulated, although no precise values of material coefficients are known. Numerical results are reported for simple two-dimensional test specimens subjected to plane strain and uniaxial tension. The models presented are compatible with the Cosserat continuum formulation (pure internal rotation) when stretch-related effects are discarded. This reduction lends itself to an interpretation of small stretching as a penalty in the formulation of the Cosserat case.