Organizers:
- Catalin Picu, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- Alireza Sarvestani, Mercer University
Description:
This symposium focuses on the mechanical behavior of soft network materials, including molecular networks, nonwovens, textiles, nanofiber networks, and biological tissues. These materials exhibit a range of complex phenomena, such as nonlinear mechanical responses, strain rate and pressure sensitivity, and complex fracture behaviors. Some networks undergo degradation or dynamic remodeling under mechanical load, and others may contain active components, as seen in the cell cytoskeleton. Although some aspects of these behaviors have been described, many challenges remain, particularly regarding multiphysics interactions and the relationships between network microstructure and material-scale behavior.
The objective of this mini-symposium is to provide a forum for discussions of current challenges and advancements related to the behavior of soft network materials. We invite presentations on theoretical and modeling advances that establish links between the structure, topology, and physics of the networks and their emerging mechanical response, as well as novel experimental techniques that can help elucidate the underlying mechanisms of such systems. Contributions that focus on network design in the context of athermal, polymeric, and biopolymer networks (super-tough networks, self-healing materials, reversible adhesives, active matter, etc.) are also of great interest.
Topics of interest:
Topics include but are not limited to:
- Relationships between microstructure and network behavior
- Damage, fracture, and size effects
- Multiscale modeling of network materials
- Viscoelasticity, poroelasticity, and damage in biopolymers and tissues
- Associative/dissociative molecular networks
- Mechanisms of growth and remodeling in biological networks
- Interpenetrating networks (IPN)
- Synthetic and biological active networks
- Mechanotransduction in networks of evolving topology
- Relationships between microstructure and network behavior
- Damage, fracture, and size effects
- Multiscale modeling of network materials
- Viscoelasticity, poroelasticity, and damage in biopolymers and tissues
- Associative/dissociative molecular networks
- Mechanisms of growth and remodeling in biological networks
- Interpenetrating networks (IPN)
- Synthetic and biological active networks
- Mechanotransduction in networks of evolving topology