Nanoindentation of hyperelastic polymer layers at finite deformation and parameter re-identification

摘要

Thin polymer layers on substrates have a wide range of application in important areas. However, it is impossible to measure the mechanical properties with the traditional testing methods. Recently, nanoindentation became a new but primary testing technique of thin layers. In the present work, based on a finite element model of contact mechanics and hyperelastic materials, nanoindentation of polymer layers is simulated with the finite element code ABAQUS~®. Three often used hyperelastic models, that is, the neo-Hookean, Moo-ney-Rivlin and Yeoh models are investigated. The behaviour of these three models is compared to each other in different boundary value problems of nanoindentation in order to get some feeling of the different behaviour of various hyperelastic models under nanoindentation. In contrast to the traditional analytical method, the penetration depth is not restrained to avoid the influence of the substrate. A parameter re-identification strategy is employed to extract the parameters of the material models at small and finite deformation based on the principle of biological evolution. Furthermore, it is investigated how large the penetration depth has to be chosen in order to distinguish different models in reference to the load-displacement curves. Finally, the possibility is discussed of describing the data obtained by a non-linear complex model using the relatively simple approach based on the neo-Hookean model.