A Reactive Inelasticity Theoretical Framework for modeling Viscoelasticity, Plastic Deformation, and damage in Soft Tissue

Soft tissues are biopolymeric materials, primarily made of collagen and water. These tissues have non-linear, anisotropic, and inelastic mechanical behaviors that are often categorized into viscoelastic behavior, plastic deformation, and damage. While tissues elastic and viscoelastic mechanical properties have been measured for decades, there is no comprehensive theoretical framework for modeling inelastic behaviors of these tissues that is based on their structure. To model the three major inelastic mechanical behaviors of soft tissue we formulated a structurally inspired continuum mechanics framework based on the energy of molecular bonds that break and reform in response to external loading (reactive bonds). In this framework, we employed the theory of internal state variables and kinetics of molecular bonds. The number fraction of bonds, their reference deformation gradient, and damage parameter were used as internal state variables that allowed for consistent modeling of all three of the inelastic behaviors of tissue by using the same sets of constitutive relations. Several numerical examples are provided that address practical problems in tissue mechanics, including the difference between plastic deformation and damage. This model can be used to identify relationships between tissues mechanical response to external loading and its biopolymeric structure.