---
type: concept
title: "Abaqus Hyperelastic and Viscoelastic Materials"
complexity: advanced
domain: computational-mechanics
created: 2026-06-01
updated: 2026-06-01
address: c-000095
aliases:
  - Abaqus hyperelasticity
  - Abaqus viscoelasticity
  - Abaqus elastomer materials
  - Abaqus Mullins effect
tags:
  - concept
  - finite-element-method
  - abaqus
  - hyperelasticity
  - viscoelasticity
  - materials
status: current
related:
  - "[[Abaqus-Analysis-User-s-Guide-Volume-III|Abaqus Analysis User's Guide Volume III]]"
  - "[[Abaqus Elastic Material Models]]"
  - "[[Hybrid Incompressible Elements]]"
  - "[[Nonlinear Finite Element Analysis]]"
  - "[[Abaqus Thermal Expansion and Damping Materials]]"
sources:
  - "[[Abaqus-Analysis-User-s-Guide-Volume-III|Abaqus Analysis User's Guide Volume III]]"
---

# Abaqus Hyperelastic and Viscoelastic Materials

## Definition

Abaqus hyperelastic and viscoelastic material models describe large-strain recoverable response and time- or frequency-dependent response, especially for rubberlike materials and elastomeric foams.

## How It Works

Hyperelastic models use strain energy potentials to describe finite-strain elastic response. The source lists rubberlike isotropic hyperelasticity, elastomeric foams, and anisotropic hyperelastic behavior. Rubberlike materials are often nearly incompressible, so Abaqus/Standard commonly requires hybrid continuum elements for highly confined nearly incompressible cases, while Abaqus/Explicit requires explicit compressibility because it cannot enforce exact incompressibility at each material point.

The guide also covers stress softening and dissipation in elastomers. Mullins-effect modeling reduces stiffness after prior loading; elastomeric foam energy dissipation and permanent set models capture hysteretic or residual effects.

Viscoelastic behavior appears in time-domain and frequency-domain forms. Time-domain models use relaxation behavior, while frequency-domain models describe storage and loss response. Nonlinear viscoelastic capabilities include hysteresis in elastomers and the parallel rheological framework.

## Why It Matters

Elastomer and foam models are strongly tied to nonlinear geometry, incompressibility, test-data calibration, and dissipation. A stable element and procedure choice is part of the material model, not a separate afterthought.

## Connections

- [[Hybrid Incompressible Elements]] are often required for nearly incompressible hyperelastic solids in Abaqus/Standard.
- [[Nonlinear Finite Element Analysis]] supplies the finite-strain and contact-capable solution setting these models usually need.
- [[Abaqus Thermal Expansion and Damping Materials]] connects thermal expansion and damping behavior that may be combined with elastomer models.

## Sources

- [[Abaqus-Analysis-User-s-Guide-Volume-III|Abaqus Analysis User's Guide Volume III]]