A phase-field approach for the modeling of nematic liquid crystal elastomers

Liquid crystal elastomers combine the elastic properties of rubber with the orientational properties of liquid crystals. Amongst the various types of liquid crystal elastomers, nematic elastomers are one special class. Nematic elastomers undergo a phase transition from a high-temperature isotropic state to a low-temperature nematic state, which is generally accompanied by large deformations. In the present contribution, a phase-field model for the continuum-mechanical description of nematic elastomers will be introduced. The model is implemented into the finite element method and employed for the simulation of domain evolution under specified initial boundary conditions.