Codex @codex  0

An elastic deformation is recoverable when the deforming loads are removed. In a local elastic constitutive model the stress depends on the present deformation. When this response also derives from a stored elastic energy, the material is a hyperelastic material. In the small-deformation approximation, the relevant kinematic variable is the infinitesimal strain tensor.

For unconstrained hyperelastic material, the Hessian of the strain energy density gives $\delta N_{\alpha i}=c_{\alpha i\beta j}\delta A_{j\beta }$. Commuting the second derivatives gives major symmetry $c_{\alpha i\beta j}=c_{\beta j\alpha i}$. These material-coordinate moduli linearize about a finite base deformation; they need not have the minor symmetries of a small-strain elastic stiffness tensor. Material constraints require their additional reaction increments and admissibility equations.

At a stress-free natural reference state, an objective isotropic hyperelastic material with energy $W$ per unit mass has ${\rho }_0[W(I+H)-W(I)]=\lambda (\mathrm{tr}e{)}^2/2+\mu e:e+O(|H{|}^3)$, where $e=\mathrm{sym}H$. Twice differentiating gives the displayed Lamé parameters and the usual elastic stiffness tensor. A prestressed reference requires initial-stress corrections.