{"id":17756,"date":"2025-12-30T17:14:25","date_gmt":"2025-12-30T17:14:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.simscale.com\/?page_id=17756"},"modified":"2025-05-14T13:38:16","modified_gmt":"2025-05-14T13:38:16","slug":"materials","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.simscale.com\/docs\/simulation-setup\/materials\/","title":{"rendered":"Materials"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the materials section, you can define multiple materials and assign volumes to them. To do so, click on the <strong>&#8216;+&#8217; <\/strong>button next to <em>Materials<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/frontend-assets.simscale.com\/media\/2025\/05\/image-6.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"295\" height=\"577\" src=\"https:\/\/frontend-assets.simscale.com\/media\/2025\/05\/image-6.png\" alt=\"accessing materials from the simulation set up\" class=\"wp-image-103020\" srcset=\"https:\/\/frontend-assets.simscale.com\/media\/2025\/05\/image-6.png 295w, https:\/\/frontend-assets.simscale.com\/media\/2025\/05\/image-6-153x300.png 153w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 295px) 100vw, 295px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Figure 1: <strong>&#8216;+&#8217;<\/strong> button to choose a new material<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Afterwards, a library of materials appears. Select one material from the list. The specific material parameters to be defined depend on the analysis type of the simulation.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/frontend-assets.simscale.com\/media\/2025\/05\/image-7.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"740\" height=\"718\" src=\"https:\/\/frontend-assets.simscale.com\/media\/2025\/05\/image-7.png\" alt=\"materials list simscale\" class=\"wp-image-103021\" srcset=\"https:\/\/frontend-assets.simscale.com\/media\/2025\/05\/image-7.png 740w, https:\/\/frontend-assets.simscale.com\/media\/2025\/05\/image-7-300x291.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Figure 2: Library of Solid materials<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 id='user-materials' class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"user-materials\">User Materials<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Material parameters can be changed once a material is assigned to a simulation domain. If you will be using the same material again and it\u2019s not in the default list, we recommend you to create a <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.simscale.com\/knowledge-base\/custom-materials-in-simscale\/#user-material-library\">User Material<\/a><\/em> that can be used in any of your simulations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-simscale wp-block-embed-simscale\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"kaXcgk0h0g\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.simscale.com\/knowledge-base\/custom-materials-in-simscale\/\">How To Define Custom Materials In SimScale?<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&#8220;How To Define Custom Materials In SimScale?&#8221; &#8212; SimScale\" src=\"https:\/\/www.simscale.com\/knowledge-base\/custom-materials-in-simscale\/embed\/#?secret=y5Elpn5NEb#?secret=kaXcgk0h0g\" data-secret=\"kaXcgk0h0g\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 id='company-materials' class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"company-materials\">Company Materials<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Materials can also be uploaded and shared amongst all users at your company. This allows all your users to reference the same material data and ensure consistency across simulations. Please <a href=\"https:\/\/www.simscale.com\/docs\/help-and-support\/#contact-support\">reach out to us<\/a> if you would like to learn more!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id='solid-materials' class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"solid-materials\">Solid Materials<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For solid mechanics analysis, every volume that belongs to the simulation domain has to be assigned to exactly one material. For example, in the case of a solid mechanics simulation, you have to choose a material law that describes the relationship between the strains and the consequent stresses. Please be aware that the material behavior can be linear or nonlinear (e.g. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.simscale.com\/docs\/simulation-setup\/materials\/plastic-materials\/\">plastic material<\/a>) and therefore may affect the numerical effort of the calculation. Solid material properties and behavior are defined by a&nbsp;thermal solid model. <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/frontend-assets.simscale.com\/media\/2020\/05\/2020-05-23_22-24-09.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"354\" height=\"488\" src=\"https:\/\/frontend-assets.simscale.com\/media\/2020\/05\/2020-05-23_22-24-09.jpg\" alt=\"changing input for materials\" class=\"wp-image-28886\" srcset=\"https:\/\/frontend-assets.simscale.com\/media\/2020\/05\/2020-05-23_22-24-09.jpg 354w, https:\/\/frontend-assets.simscale.com\/media\/2020\/05\/2020-05-23_22-24-09-218x300.jpg 218w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 354px) 100vw, 354px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Figure 3: It&#8217;s possible to edit the parameters by clicking on the values and create a customized material.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Find below the solid material models available on SimScale:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id='linear-elastic' class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"linear-elastic\">Linear elastic<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Linear elastic material deforms elastically throughout the analysis, which means that it will return back to its initial state upon unloading, irrespective of the deformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.simscale.com\/docs\/simulation-setup\/materials\/linear-elastic-materials\/\">Linear elastic material<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id='elasto-plastic' class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"elasto-plastic\">Elasto-plastic<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Elasto-plastic material model describes an elastic behavior until the onset of plasticity after which the solid material undergoes irreversible deformation when subjected to loading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.simscale.com\/docs\/simulation-setup\/materials\/plastic-materials\/\">Elasto-plastic material<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id='hyperelastic' class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"hyperelastic\">Hyperelastic<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hyperelastic materials are a special class of materials that tend to respond elastically when they are subjected to very large strains. They show both nonlinear material behavior as well as large shape changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.simscale.com\/docs\/simulation-setup\/materials\/hyperelastic-materials\/\">Hyperelastic material<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id='creep' class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"creep\">Creep<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Creep is the inelastic, irreversible deformation of structures over a long period of time. It is a life-limiting factor and depends on stress, strain, temperature, and time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.simscale.com\/docs\/simulation-setup\/materials\/creep\/\">Creep<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"damping\">Damping<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Damping, in dynamic simulations, means energy dissipation out of the system. It can be used to remove unphysical oscillations of the system or to mimic effects such as internal friction of the material.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.simscale.com\/docs\/simulation-setup\/materials\/damping\/\">Damping<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id='temperature-dependency-solids' class=\"wp-block-heading\">Temperature Dependency (solids)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Temperature dependency allows for the definition of material properties as a function of temperature via a table rather than as a constant value. This is critical for capturing realistic physical behavior where heat significantly alters the material&#8217;s characteristics, such as softening metals or variable thermal conductivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Enabling these properties requires specific <strong>Global Settings<\/strong> depending on your analysis type:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Electromagnetics:<\/strong> Requires the <em>Thermal<\/em> option to be enabled. (Allows: Electric Conductivity, Relative Magnetic Permeability, Thermal Conductivity. Adds Density for Time-transient models).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Heat Transfer:<\/strong> Requires <em>Nonlinear analysis<\/em> enabled. (Allows: Density, Thermal Conductivity, Specific Heat).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Thermomechanical:<\/strong> Requires <em>Nonlinear analysis<\/em> enabled. (Allows: Young&#8217;s Modulus, Poisson&#8217;s Ratio, Expansion Coefficient, Thermal Conductivity, Specific Heat).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Conjugate Heat Transfer &amp; Conjugate Heat Transfer (IBM):<\/strong> Thermal Conductivity and Specific Heat are available by default. Electric Resistivity is added if <em>Joule Heating<\/em> is enabled and the conductivity type is set to &#8220;Isotropic conductor&#8221;.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"youngs-modulus-and-poissons-ratio\">Young&#8217;s Modulus and Poisson&#8217;s Ratio<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Definition of Young&#8217;s modulus and Poisson&#8217;s ratio can be found in the following documents respectively:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-simscale wp-block-embed-simscale\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"DGH5xb4abm\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.simscale.com\/docs\/simulation-setup\/materials\/youngs-modulus\/\">Young\u2019s Modulus<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&#8220;Young\u2019s Modulus&#8221; &#8212; SimScale\" src=\"https:\/\/www.simscale.com\/docs\/simulation-setup\/materials\/youngs-modulus\/embed\/#?secret=K9NtCDeCRE#?secret=DGH5xb4abm\" data-secret=\"DGH5xb4abm\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-simscale wp-block-embed-simscale\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"mGSVvIkpeo\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.simscale.com\/docs\/simulation-setup\/materials\/poissons-ratio\/\">Poisson\u2019s Ratio<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&#8220;Poisson\u2019s Ratio&#8221; &#8212; SimScale\" src=\"https:\/\/www.simscale.com\/docs\/simulation-setup\/materials\/poissons-ratio\/embed\/#?secret=BAp9Zq0pjS#?secret=mGSVvIkpeo\" data-secret=\"mGSVvIkpeo\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 id='fluid-materials' class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"fluid-materials\">Fluid Materials<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All incompressible analysis types require the material density (a constant) to be specified by the user. For compressible simulations, the density is solved as part of the equation of state and does not need to be provided in the material definition. Fluid&nbsp;material properties and behavior are defined by the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.simscale.com\/docs\/simulation-setup\/materials\/thermophysical-fluid-models\/\">thermophysical fluid model<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/frontend-assets.simscale.com\/media\/2022\/07\/image-8.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"617\" height=\"641\" src=\"https:\/\/frontend-assets.simscale.com\/media\/2022\/07\/image-8.png\" alt=\"library of fluid materials in simscale\" class=\"wp-image-52333\" srcset=\"https:\/\/frontend-assets.simscale.com\/media\/2022\/07\/image-8.png 617w, https:\/\/frontend-assets.simscale.com\/media\/2022\/07\/image-8-289x300.png 289w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 617px) 100vw, 617px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Figure 4: Library of fluid materials available within SimScale. The properties can be edited after the material has been assigned.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"hw-block hw-note hw-note--success hw-note\">\n    <div class=\"hw-note__title\">\n        <p class=\"hw-note__titleText\"><i class=\"fa fa-exclamation-circle\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>Assigning vacuum as the material medium<\/p>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"hw-note__body\">\n        <p>Yes! You heard it right! In SimScale it is possible to create a vacuum medium by changing the conductivity of air. Follow the steps:<br><li> Select <i>Air<\/i> from the material library. <\/li><li>Since fluid conductivity is defined as  \\(\\frac {Density\\ (\\rho) \\times Kinematic\\ viscosity\\ (\\nu) \\times Specific\\ heat\\ (C_p)}{Prandtl\\ number (Pr)}\\) adjust the values such that conductivity is in the order of 1e-11.<\/li><li>In case temperature boundary condition is involved make sure that it is set to a fixed value.<\/li>\r\n<\/p>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"hw-block hw-note hw-note--warning hw-note\">\n    <div class=\"hw-note__title\">\n        <p class=\"hw-note__titleText\"><i class=\"fa fa-exclamation-circle\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>Warning<\/p>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"hw-note__body\">\n        <p>In single region simulation types (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.simscale.com\/docs\/analysis-types\/incompressible-fluid-flow-analysis\/\">incompressible<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.simscale.com\/docs\/analysis-types\/compressible-fluid-flow-analysis\/\">compressible<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.simscale.com\/docs\/analysis-types\/convective-heat-transfer-analysis\/\">convective heat transfer<\/a>), the material can only be assigned to a fluid region. Assigning a material to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.simscale.com\/docs\/topological-entity-sets\/\">topological entity sets<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.simscale.com\/docs\/simulation-setup\/advanced-concepts\/\">advanced concepts<\/a> will lead to a warning message preventing you from performing the simulation.<\/p>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 id='temperature-dependency-fluids' class=\"wp-block-heading\">Temperature Dependency (fluids)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For fluid materials, defining properties as a function of temperature allows for the simulation of realistic flow behavior where thermal gradients affect viscosity or density. These options depend on the analysis type and whether the flow is defined as compressible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Multi-purpose:<\/strong> Requires <em>Conjugate Heat Transfer<\/em> to be enabled in global settings. (Allows: Dynamic Viscosity).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Conjugate Heat Transfer &amp; Conjugate Heat Transfer (IBM):<\/strong> Properties vary based on the <em>Compressible<\/em> toggle:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Compressible Off:<\/strong> Kinematic Viscosity, Laminar Prandtl Number, Specific Heat, and Density (available when <em>Equation of State<\/em> is set to &#8220;Rho const.&#8221;).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Compressible On:<\/strong> Dynamic Viscosity, Laminar Prandtl Number, Specific Heat, and Density (available when <em>Equation of State<\/em> is set to &#8220;Rho const.&#8221;).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"viscosity-model\">Viscosity Model<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For analysis types that do not include energy\/heat, the fluid materials are categorized based on the viscosity model of the fluid. The models generally relate the behavior of viscosity to the strain rate of the fluid. The 2 fundamental types of viscosity models that define any fluid material are as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"newtonian-model\"><strong>Newtonian Model<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a Newtonian fluid model, the local stresses due to the viscous forces in the fluid change linearly with the local strain rate. Here, viscosity is then the constant of proportionality. The implemented Newtonian model assumes a constant kinematic viscosity \\(\u03bd\\): $$\u03bd=(\u03bc\/\u03c1)$$ which is specified by the user in units of&nbsp;\\(m^2\/s\\). Some \u2018Liquids\u2019 and \u2018Gases\u2019, for example, water and air, follow a \u2018Newtonian model\u2019 under standard conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"non-newtonian-model\"><strong>Non-Newtonian Model<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a non-Newtonian fluid model, the local shear stress and the local shear rate of the fluid are not related linearly. Here, a constant of proportionality cannot be determined and so viscosity is a variable quantity. For these fluids, several non-Newtonian models exist that define the non-linear relation to determine the kinematic viscosity, \u03bd&nbsp;(see link below for details). Some examples of non-Newtonian fluids include common substances like ketchup, custard, toothpaste, corn-starch suspensions, paint, blood, and shampoo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-simscale wp-block-embed-simscale\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"vU5xFuaVGD\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.simscale.com\/docs\/simulation-setup\/materials\/non-newtonian-models\/\">Non-Newtonian Models<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&#8220;Non-Newtonian Models&#8221; &#8212; SimScale\" src=\"https:\/\/www.simscale.com\/docs\/simulation-setup\/materials\/non-newtonian-models\/embed\/#?secret=aF4LIhITVn#?secret=vU5xFuaVGD\" data-secret=\"vU5xFuaVGD\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the materials section, you can define multiple materials and assign volumes to them. To do so, click on the...","protected":false},"author":94,"featured_media":51852,"parent":17179,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"templates\/template-documentation.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_crdt_document":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-17756","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.simscale.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/17756","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.simscale.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.simscale.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.simscale.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/94"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.simscale.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17756"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.simscale.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/17756\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.simscale.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/17179"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.simscale.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/51852"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.simscale.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17756"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}