Edinburgh Napier University

  Smart multifunctional polymeric composites such as magnetoactive polymers, electroac-tive polymers and photopolymers are increasingly being explored for various applications in soft robotics, energy harvesting, flexible electronic devices, precision drug delivery de-vices, and morphing blades etc. For the accurate simulation of the mechanical response of these smart multifunctional composites under different excitation mechanisms, proper resolution of coupled interactions at the interface between solid mechanics, electromag-netism, heat transfer, and chemical transport is essential.

Computer modelling of smart composites is a challenging endeavour because of added difficulties in resolving the coupling between different physics, in addition to the difficul-ties associated with accurately modelling their large-deformation and large-strain behav-iour by considering the incompressible nature of deformations. The difficulties get com-pounded for geometries made of thin structures. Moreover, the necessity to model the viscoelastic behaviour of polymeric matrix at finite strains to capture the time response accurately, and its integration with elastodynamic effects, poses additional challenges in choosing appropriate time integration schemes. To overcome the above-mentioned chal-lenges, a unified finite element simulation framework based on mixed formulations, high-er-order elements and second-order time integration has been developed by the authors recently [1]-[3]. This contribution will present the recently-developed advanced formula-tions for simulating large-deformation and large-strain behaviour of electroactive and magnetoactive polymers, including viscoelastic, elastodynamics and growth effects.