Nonlinear Elasticity for Soft Fibrous Materials

Abstract

This chapter is devoted to a review of several aspects of the nonlinear theory of elasticity that may be useful to deduce in a rational way mathematical models that may be useful for describing the mechanical behaviour of soft fibrous materials. We review some general aspects of the nonlinear theory and a list of conditions that seems to be plausible to impose on mechanical models of soft fibrous materials. We consider also some experimental data. Then we study the possibility of using continuum mechanics models to study single fibre materials.