Assessment of Compressive Mechanical Behavior of Bis-GMA Polymer Using Hyperelastic Models

Polymers (Basel). 2019 Sep 27;11(10):1571. doi: 10.3390/polym11101571.

Abstract

Despite wide industrial applications of Bis-GMA polymer, very few studies are available about the material classification, mechanical properties, and behavior of this material. In this study, the compressive behavior of Bis-GMA polymer was studied using different hyperelastic constitutive models through a hybrid experimental-computational process. Standard uniaxial compression tests were conducted to extract the mechanical behavior and structural response of the Bis-GMA polymer. A nano-indentation experiment was used to verify the compressive behavior of Bis-GMA polymer in the form of hyperelastic behavior. The finite element model and real-time simulation of the test incorporating different hyperelastic models were developed in comparison with the experimental finding to obtain the proper type of hyperelastic behavior of Bis-GMA polymer. The results indicate that a second-order polynomial hyperelastic model is the best fit to predict the behavior of Bis-GMA polymer. Next, the validated model was used to determine the true stress-strain curve of the Bis-GMA polymer.

Keywords: Bis-GMA polymer; compressive behavior; finite element method; hyperelastic constitutive model; nano-indentation experiment.