Boundary element methods for polymer analysis

Abstract

The application of the boundary element method (BEM) to the stress analysis of polymers is reviewed. Since polymers are most often modelled as viscoelastic materials, formulations specifically developed for other such materials are also discussed. Essentially, only linear viscoelasticity has been considered for which the correspondence principle applies. Two main BEM approaches are encountered in the literature. The first solves the problem in either Laplace or Fourier transformed domain and relies on numerical inversion for the determination for the time-dependent response. The second solves directly in the time domain using appropriate fundamental solutions each depending on the viscoelastic model used. The developed algorithms have been validated through their application to a range of benchmark problems. Scope for enhancing the potential of the method is identified by increasing the generality of material modelling and expanding its application to complex, industry-oriented problems