Length-Controlled Elasticity in 3D Fiber Networks

Abstract

We present a model for disordered 3D fiber networks to study their linear and nonlinear elasticity over a wide range of network densities and fiber lengths. In contrast to previous 2D models, these 3D networks with binary cross-links are under-constrained with respect to fiber stretching elasticity, suggesting that bending may dominate their response. We find that such networks exhibit a fiber length-controlled bending regime and a crossover to a stretch-dominated regime for lengths beyond a characteristic scale that depends on the fiber's elastic properties. Finally, by extending the model to the nonlinear regime, we show that these networks become intrinsically nonlinear with a vanishing linear response regime in the limit of floppy or long filaments.

4 pages, 4 figures

References in corpus (5)

• Elasticity of Stiff Polymer Networks
• Criticality and isostaticity in fiber networks
• Mechanics of bundled semiflexible polymer networks
• Nonaffine rubber elasticity for stiff polymer networks
• Effective medium theory of semiflexible filamentous networks

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