Mechanics of soft materials

Researcher: Prof. Lihua Jin

Deformation, instability, and fracture of soft materials

Soft materials are capable of nonlinear and large deformation, with highly nonlinear stress-strain behavior. As a result, a rich library of mechanical instabilities can occur in soft materials. Our group studies the nonlinear mechanics of soft materials, and in particular different modes of instabilities, including creasing, wrinkling, period doubling, and ridging. On the other hand, soft materials have unusual fracture behavior. Our group also strives to advance the understanding of fracture in soft materials.