Tailoring of hysteresis across different material scales

Hysteresis is discussed as a multi-scale material feature that can strongly affect the dynamic performance of a structure. It is shown that the hysteresis exhibited by assemblies of short wire ropes can be tailored via a synergistic use of different dissipation mechanisms (inter-wire frictional sliding, phase transformations) combined with geometric nonlinearities. The blend of material and geometric nonlinearities is a powerful and promising way to design new advantageous types of hysteretic responses in macro- or micro-scale devices and structures. Indeed, moving from macro-scale structures towards much smaller material scales, carbon nanotubes in nanocomposites are shown to dissipate energy through stick-slip with the polymer chains. The hysteresis of these materials can be largely modified and optimized by adjusting the micro-structural constitutive features. Recent experimental and modeling efforts are discussed in the context of new directions in material design and dynamic behavior of nanocomposites.