Mechanics of the hysteretic large strain behavior of mussel byssus threads

Natural fibers are particularly interesting from a materials point of view since their morphology has been tailored to enable a wide range of macroscopic level functions and mechanical properties. In this paper, we focus on mussel byssal threads which possess a morphology specifically designed to provide a hysteretic yet resilient large strain deformation behavior. X-ray diffraction studies have shown that numerous natural fibers have a multi-domain architecture composed of folded modules which are linked together in series along a macromolecular chain. This microstructure leads to a strong rate and temperature dependent mechanical behavior and one which exhibits a stretch-induced softening of the mechanical response as a result of the underlying morphology evolving with imposed stretched. This paper addresses the development of a constitutive model for the stress–strain behavior of the distal portion of mussel byssal threads based on the underlying protein network structure and its morphology evolving with imposed stretched. The model will be shown to capture the major features of the stress–strain behavior, including the highly nonlinear stress–strain behavior, and its dependence on strain rate and stretch-induced softening.