Smart materials in Abaqus

Abaqus provides several material models that can simulate the behavior of smart materials. Smart materials are materials that can change their properties in response to external stimuli, such as temperature, electric field, or magnetic field. Some of the smart material models available in Abaqus include:

• Piezoelectric materials: These materials exhibit a change in electric polarization when subjected to mechanical stress or strain, and vice versa. Abaqus provides several piezoelectric material models, including 3D and 2D piezoelectricity, and coupled electromechanical analysis.
• Shape memory alloys (SMAs): SMAs are materials that can recover their shape after being deformed, either by heating or by applying a magnetic field. Abaqus provides a SMA material model that can simulate the behavior of these materials under various loading conditions.
• Magnetostrictive materials: These materials exhibit a change in shape when subjected to a magnetic field, and vice versa. Abaqus provides a magnetostrictive material model that can simulate the behavior of these materials under various loading conditions.
• Electroactive polymers: These materials change their shape in response to an electric field. Abaqus provides a material model for electroactive polymers that can simulate the behavior of these materials under various loading conditions.

To use these material models in Abaqus, the appropriate material properties and parameters must be defined for each material type. The material properties can be defined in the material editor in Abaqus/CAE, and the material parameters can be specified using user-defined material subroutines or through the use of built-in material models in Abaqus.

The Abaqus particularly has an option in the Material edit window, Electrical/Magnetic tab for the piezoelectric materials, which you can see in the picture below.

Piezoelectric materials are a class of smart materials that exhibit a unique property called the piezoelectric effect. This effect refers to the ability of certain materials to generate an electric charge in response to mechanical stress or strain, and vice versa. Piezoelectric materials are widely used in various applications, such as sensors, actuators, and energy harvesting devices. In these applications, the piezoelectric effect is harnessed to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy or vice versa. Examples of piezoelectric materials include quartz, lead zirconate titanate (PZT), and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). Piezoelectric materials are commonly used in the aerospace, automotive, and medical industries, where their unique properties are critical for the development of advanced devices and systems.

Click on the link below to see some practical examples:

Piezoelectric simulation in Abaqus