Prof. Gal deBotton
Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 1993
Phone: (972) 8 - 647 7105
Fax: (972) 8 - 647 7106  or  2813
e-mail: debotton@bgumail.bgu.ac.il
Link to Picture

My research deals with the behavior of composite materials. Composites are heterogeneous materials made out of two or more continuous phases. My study has implications in the fields of Biomechanics, Actuators and Active materials, and Artificial Composites. I also study other topics in the field of solid mechanics and serve as a consultant for various institutions and plants in Israel.

  The students who are currently working with me in these areas of research are:
Arnon Lewinstein (Ph.D. - M.E.): The electro-mechanical coupling of Electroactive polymers in finite deformations.
Gal Shmuel (Ph.D. - M.E.): Wave propagation and band-gaps in Electroactive polymers undergoing large deformations.
Yaniv Goldenberg (M.Sc. - B.M.E.): Remodeling of collagen fibers in biological tissues.
Gil Uner (M.Sc. - M.E.): Analysis of optimal microstructures of electroactive composites.
Noy Cohen (M.Sc. - M.E.): Electroactive polymer chains - micro to macro.
Adi Flisher (M.Sc. - M.E.): The influance of the microstructure on the behavior and stability of EAPs.
Dar Or (M.Sc. - B.M.E.): Micromechanical analysis and simulation of connective tissues with collagen fibers.

  Modern actuators are made out of exotic materials such as shape memory alloys (SMA) and electroactive polymers (EAP). The origin of the shape memory effect is the heterogeneous microscopic structure of these special alloys. In recent experiments it was found that electromechanical coupling in EAPs can be dramatically enhanced by considering polymers with two or more phases. (top of page)


FE simulation of a composite EAP
The actuation strains of composite EAPs are 50% higher than the actuation of their phases ! [with Limor Tevet-Deree and Esteban Socolsky, SPIE 06] A coupled electro-mechanical finite element simulation of the actuation of a unit cell of a composite EAP. [with Esteban Socolsky and Limor Tevet-Deree, MAMS 06]

  Biological organs are always made out of heterogeneous materials. The tissues out of which our blood vessels are made are reinforced with special collagen fibers. The mechanical analysis of these tissues is complicated due to their flexibility and ability to undergo large deformations. (top of page)


The stresses in the collagen fibers of a reinforced tissue are determined (curves) and compared with FE simulations (marks). [with Ilia Hariton and Esteban Socolsky, JMPS 06] The evolution of the direction of collagen fibers in an artery are determined and compared with experimental results. [with I. Hariton, T. C. Gasser and G. A. Holzapfel BMMB 06]

  Manmade composites are tailored according to the specific needs of the customer. Aircraft wings, for example, needs to be strong in certain directions and composites can be manufactured to comply with these requirements, while weighting less than half of similar aluminum made structures. Under impact loading conditions these materials can absorb some the impact energy. The superior and exotic qualities of these light and strong materials are obtained by an appropriate combination of a few constituents with different properties at the microscopic level. (top of page)
Stress waves in a composite
Polycrystal bounds
With the right microstructure, an abrupt impact on one side of the composite can be smoothen and turn into a moderate acceleration at its other side. [with Dan Shaine, 2006]
Bounds on the behavior of nonlinear polycrystals are compared with classical results of Hill 1951, Hutchinson 1976 and Willis et al. 1991. [with P. Ponte Castañeda, PRSL 95]


  Alumni:
Ilia Hariton (Ph.D.): Vascular Biomechanics - Functional Adaptation, Anisotropy and Seeds of Micromechanics. [pdf 1.9MB]
Limor Tevet-Deree (Ph.D.): Electroactive Polymer Composites - Analysis and Simulation. [pdf 1.7MB]
Stephan Rudykh (Ph.D. - M.E.): Electroactive Polymer Composites - Microscopic and Macroscopic stability.
Esteban Socolsky (M.Sc. - M.E.): Electroactive sequentially laminated composites - an exact solution in finite deformation elasticity.
Gal Shmuel (M.Sc. - M.E.): Composies with one and two families of fibers in finite deformations.
Tal Oren (M.Sc. - B.M.E.): 3D analysis and simulaiton of remodeling of tissues with two families of fibers.