A model for predicting uniaxial compression behavior of fused fibrous networks

•Predicted the uniaxial compression behavior of fused fibrous networks.•Fiber bending and contact mechanics used for compressive response of fiber networks.•Good agreement has been obtained between theoretical and experimental results.

Fused fibrous networks are increasingly being used for emerging industrial applications ranging from thermal/sound insulation, fluid filtration/separation, and energy conversion to tissue scaffolds. Majority of these applications need a deeper understanding of fused fibrous networks under compression loading. In this research work, a compression model of fused fibrous networks has been proposed by defining two distinct regions displaying the bending of free fiber segments between the fiber-to-fiber contacts followed by the transverse compression of fiber contacts through classical Hertzian contact mechanics approach. The mechanistic models developed in this study, have clearly elucidated the main fiber and structural parameters that control the compression behavior of fused fibrous networks. A comparison has also been made between the theoretical and experimental pressure–strain curves of randomly and preferentially aligned fused fibrous networks.

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