Material Library

User’s Guide
Material Library User’s Guide
© 1998–2015 COMSOL
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Version: COMSOL 5.1

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Visit the Contact COMSOL page at [Link]/contact to submit general
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page at [Link]/support/case.

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Part number: CM021201

C o n t e n t s

Chapter 1: Introduction

The Material Library Environment 6

About the Material Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Where Do I Access the Documentation and Application Libraries? . . . . 7

Chapter 2: Using the Material Library

Working with Materials 12

The Material Browser Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
The Add Material Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
The Settings Window for Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Property Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Material Link . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Switch for Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Material Properties 31
Viewing Material Property Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Functions Default Values in the Material Library . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Available Material Library Material Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Checking the Validity of Properties in the Material Library . . . . . . . 34

Other Material Properties Reference 39

About Model Inputs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
About the Output Material Properties. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Acoustics Material Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Electrochemistry Material Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Electromagnetic Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Equilibrium Discharge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Gas Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Piezoelectric Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

CONTENTS |3
 Piezoresistive Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Solid Mechanics Material Properties. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Solid Mechanics Material Properties: Nonlinear Structural Materials
Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Solid Mechanics Material Properties: Fatigue Module . . . . . . . . . 51
Solid Mechanics Material Properties: Geomechanics Material Model . . . 52
Semiconductors Material Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Using Functions 60
Adding a Function to the Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Defining an Analytic Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

4 | CONTENTS
 1

Introduction

Welcome to the Material Library, an add-on product that provides predefined

material data, primarily as piecewise polynomial functions of temperature. The
Material Library contains more than 20,000 property functions; these functions
specify various material properties of over 2500 materials.

The Material Library is ideal for multiphysics couplings such as electrical-thermal

analysis and structural-thermal analysis because most of the properties are available
as functions of temperature.

5
 T he M a te r i a l Li b rary E n v i ron men t
When working with the Material Library, it is the same as working with any other
material database. Below are descriptions about the predefined material databases, the
Material Library folders, and the windows and pages you work in to add any material
to your model.

See Materials in the COMSOL Multiphysics Reference Manual for a an

overview of working with material properties, material databases, and the
Material Browser.

About the Material Library

The Material Library stores the material data in folders. A search engine on the Material
Browser makes it easy to find materials to add to models—you can search by name,
UNS number, or DIN number.

The following is some basic information about the available material properties
contained in the Material Library.

• The Material Library incorporates mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties

primarily for solid materials.
• The material properties are described as a function of some variable, typically
temperature, and focus on elastic and thermal properties.
• Where applicable, data is given for a material’s solid, liquid, and vapor phases. A
material can also contain data for multiple orientations or variations.
• The properties are analytic functions over a given interval of the argument.
• Smoothing is used to interpolate the values of the properties between different
intervals. You can choose the smoothing settings in order to obtain continuous first
and second derivatives of the property functions.
• Materials can be copied to a User-Defined Library where you can add and edit
properties. You can also plot and inspect the definition of a function.
• The material property data in the Material Library is based on the Material Property
Database (MPDB) from JAHM Software, Inc.
• For all properties contained in the Material Library, you can view the literature
reference, notes, and reference temperature (where applicable) by first selecting a

6 | CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
 material property and then on the Material Browser, under Properties, click a specific
property. Then information, when available, displays under Property reference.

• Working with Materials

• The Material Browser Window
• The Add Material Window

Where Do I Access the Documentation and Application Libraries?

A number of Internet resources have more information about COMSOL, including
licensing and technical information. The electronic documentation, topic-based (or
context-based) help, and the application libraries are all accessed through the
COMSOL Desktop.

If you are reading the documentation as a PDF file on your computer,

the blue links do not work to open an application or content
referenced in a different guide. However, if you are using the Help
system in COMSOL Multiphysics, these links work to open other
modules (as long as you have a license), application examples, and
documentation sets.

THE DOCUMENTATION AND ONLINE HELP

The COMSOL Multiphysics Reference Manual describes the core physics interfaces
and functionality included with the COMSOL Multiphysics license. This book also has
instructions about how to use COMSOL and how to access the electronic
Documentation and Help content.

Opening Topic-Based Help

The Help window is useful as it is connected to many of the features on the GUI. To
learn more about a node in the Model Builder, or a window on the Desktop, click to
highlight a node or window, then press F1 to open the Help window, which then

THE MATERIAL LIBRARY ENVIRONMENT | 7

 displays information about that feature (or click a node in the Model Builder followed
by the Help button ( ). This is called topic-based (or context) help.

To open the Help window:

• In the Model Builder, Application Builder, or Physics Builder click a node or

window and then press F1.
• On any toolbar (for example, Home, Definitions, or Geometry), hover the
mouse over a button (for example, Add Physics or Build All) and then
press F1.
• From the File menu, click Help ( ).
• In the upper-right corner of the COMSOL Desktop, click the Help ( )
button.

To open the Help window:

• In the Model Builder or Physics Builder click a node or window and then
press F1.
• On the main toolbar, click the Help ( ) button.
• From the main menu, select Help>Help.

Opening the Documentation Window

To open the Documentation window:

• Press Ctrl+F1.
• From the File menu select Help>Documentation ( ).

To open the Documentation window:

• Press Ctrl+F1.
• On the main toolbar, click the Documentation ( ) button.
• From the main menu, select Help>Documentation.

8 | CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
THE APPLICATION LIBRARIES WINDOW
Each application includes documentation with the theoretical background and
step-by-step instructions to create a model application. The applications are available
in COMSOL as MPH-files that you can open for further investigation. You can use the
step-by-step instructions and the actual applications as a template for your own
modeling and applications. In most models, SI units are used to describe the relevant
properties, parameters, and dimensions in most examples, but other unit systems are
available.

Once the Application Libraries window is opened, you can search by name or browse
under a module folder name. Click to view a summary of the application and its
properties, including options to open it or a PDF document.

The Application Libraries Window in the COMSOL Multiphysics

Reference Manual.

Opening the Application Libraries Window

To open the Application Libraries window ( ):

• From the Home toolbar, Windows menu, click ( ) Applications

Libraries.
• From the File menu select Application Libraries.

To include the latest versions of model examples, from the File>Help

menu, select ( ) Update COMSOL Application Library.

Select Application Libraries from the main File> or Windows> menus.

To include the latest versions of model examples, from the Help menu
select ( ) Update COMSOL Application Library.

CONTACTING COMSOL BY EMAIL

For general product information, contact COMSOL at info@[Link].

To receive technical support from COMSOL for the COMSOL products, please
contact your local COMSOL representative or send your questions to

THE MATERIAL LIBRARY ENVIRONMENT | 9

 support@[Link]. An automatic notification and case number is sent to you by
email.

COMSOL WEBSITES

COMSOL website [Link]

Contact COMSOL [Link]/contact
Support Center [Link]/support
Product Download [Link]/product-download
Product Updates [Link]/support/updates
Discussion Forum [Link]/community
Events [Link]/events
COMSOL Video Gallery [Link]/video
Support Knowledge Base [Link]/support/knowledgebase

10 | CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
 2

Using the Material Library

This chapter describes the material properties in the Material Library and how to
use them in your COMSOL Multiphysics® models. It also contains information
about using functions to define material properties.

11
 Working with Materials

The Material Browser Window

The Material Browser window ( ) contains a number of databases with a broad
collection of elastic, solid mechanics, electromagnetic, fluid, chemical, thermal,
piezoelectric, and piezoresistive properties of materials. Use the Material Browser to
find predefined materials and add them to the Model Builder, or create a custom
material library.

To open the Material Browser :

• On the Materials toolbar click Browse Materials.

• From the Home toolbar, select Windows>Material Browser.

To open the Material Browser :

• On the Model Toolbar click Browse Materials.

• Select Windows>Material Browser.

The Material Browser is similar to The Add Material Window but it includes detailed
property information about each material. From this window you can also create a new
material library and import a material library. See Adding Materials to a Component
for information about adding materials to your model’s components (geometries).
Click Done ( ) to close the Material Browser and add the materials in the Added to
model list to the model. Click Cancel ( ), press Escape, or click in the main toolbar
to exit the Material Browser without adding any materials.

You can browse all the available material databases or search for specific materials.
There is also a Recent Materials folder where you find the most recently used
materials. Search a specific material by name (or, for the Material Library product, by
UNS number or DIN number).

12 | CHAPTER 2: USING THE MATERIAL LIBRARY

When browsing the material databases, in particular the Material Library, some
materials include additional information—UNS number, DIN number, and
composition.

As in Figure 2-1 the following information is included in the window to the right of
the material tree. Navigate in the material tree and click a material to display the
information.

Material availability is based on the type of COMSOL Multiphysics

license. For example, if you have the MEMS Module, you have the
Built-In, Liquids and Gases, MEMS, and Piezoelectric material libraries.

PROPERTIES
While browsing the databases, predefined material properties for the selected material
are listed in a table in the columns Property, Expression, Unit, and the Property group to
which the material property belongs. If Property group is empty, the material property
is a Basic property.

Under Property reference, for the materials in the Material Library product, reference
information about a material’s properties appears when you click a property above.

INPUTS
For some materials, predefined function inputs are listed in a table in the columns
Input, Variable, and Unit. Inputs appear for material properties defined using functions
that require the input. Typical inputs are temperature and pressure, for temperature-
and pressure-dependent material properties, respectively.

CREATE A NEW MATERIAL LIBRARY OR IMPORT A MATERIAL LIBRARY

Click the New Material Library button ( ) to open the New Material Library dialog
box. You can also right-click a material and select Add to New Library ( ) to create a
new material library and add that material to the new library. Go to Creating a New
Material Library and Adding Materials in the COMSOL Multiphysics Reference
Manual.

Click the Import Material Library button ( ) to open the Choose Material Library
dialog box. Go to Importing a Material Library in the COMSOL Multiphysics
Reference Manual.

WO R K I N G W I T H M A T E R I A L S | 13
 Figure 2-1: The Material Browser details a material’s properties after selection. In this
example, the properties of Oxygen are listed to the right of the Material Browser folders.

14 | CHAPTER 2: USING THE MATERIAL LIBRARY

MATERIAL LIBRARY FOLDERS

TABLE 2-1: MATERIAL LIBRARY FOLDERS

FOLDER

Elements
Iron Alloys
Nickel Alloys
Aluminum Alloys
Copper Alloys
Magnesium Alloys
Titanium Alloys
Simple Oxides
Complex Oxides/Silicates
Carbides
Cermets
Tool Steels
Carbons
Thermal Insulators
Intermetallics and TBC
Refractory Metal Alloys
Nylons and Polyamides
Polyethers and Polyesters
Acetal Resins
PVDF (poly(vinylidene fluoride))
EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate)
Miscellaneous Polymers
Polymer Composites
Elastomers
Epoxies
Minerals, Rocks, and Soils
Woods
Polypropylenes
PET Compounds
Controlled Expansion Alloys

WO R K I N G W I T H M A T E R I A L S | 15
 TABLE 2-1: MATERIAL LIBRARY FOLDERS

FOLDER

Thermocouple Alloys
Semi-conductors and Optical Materials
Organics and Hydrocarbons
Other Materials
Solders, Low-Melting, and Dental
Cobalt Alloys
Resistance Alloys
Magnetic Alloys
Metal-Matrix Composites
Ceramic-Matrix Composites
Salts
Fuel-cell, Battery, and Electro-ceramics
Silicides
Borides
Glasses and Metallic Glasses
Nitrides and Beryllides
Cast Irons
Mold Materials

The Add Material Window

The Add Material window is similar to The Material Browser Window. It has the same
materials available but does not include the detailed properties about each material.
This window is a quick way to add materials to models.

To open the Add Material window :

• From the Materials toolbar, click Add Material.

• Right-click the Materials node ( ) and select Add Material.

As in Figure 2-2You can browse all the available material databases or search for
specific materials. There is also a Recent Materials folder where you find the most
recently used materials. Search a specific material by name (or, for the Material Library
product, by UNS number or DIN number).

16 | CHAPTER 2: USING THE MATERIAL LIBRARY

Figure 2-2: The Add Material window. In this example, the liquid phase of Oxygen is
selected and can be added to the Material node in the Model Builder.

ADDING MATERIALS TO A COMPONENT

You can add materials to Component nodes using either the Add Material or Material
Browser windows. In either window, use the Search field to find materials by name,
UNS number, or DIN number. Or click any of the folders and subfolders to locate and
add a specific material.

For example, click the arrow to the left of Elements to expand that folder, and then click
Oxygen.

In the Add Material window, all the materials are listed with a description
of the phase and orientation/type next to the primary name (for example,
Oxygen [liquid], Oxygen [vapor]. This is different in the Material Browser,
where you select these options from the Phase or Orientation/variation
lists.

Using the Add Material Window

1 Open The Add Material Window.

WO R K I N G W I T H M A T E R I A L S | 17
 2 In the Add Material window, select a material by phase (liquid, vapor, gas, or solid)
and orientation/variation, when available.
3 Click the Add to Component or Add to Selection buttons, or right-click the material
and select the same options from the context menu. If there is more than one
Component in the model tree, add the material to the applicable geometry.
- Click the Add to Component button to add the material to the active component
in the Model Builder and then make it an active material in the domains (or other
geometric entities) where it is selected. You can also click the menu button to the
right of Add to Component and select Global Materials to add it under the global
Materials node, select any of the components in the model to add it to its Materials
node, or select Add to Switch 1, for example, to add it under a Switch node for
materials under the global Materials node. Right-click the Material node to
rename it, for example, using the name of the material it represents.
- For Add to Selection the material is added to the geometric entity chosen in the
Graphics window and a new node is added to the Model Builder. This is a method
called preselection and once the second node is added, the first node displays
(overridden) in the selection list.

Using the Material Browser Window

1 Open The Material Browser Window.
2 In the Material Browser, select options from the Phase and Orientation/variation lists,
when available (only included for some materials in the Material Library product).
In this window you can review the material Properties, Functions, and Input sections.
See Viewing Material Property Information for information about viewing
information about, for example, references for a specific material property.
3 Click the Add to Component button ( ) under the list of materials to add the
selected material to the current model component. Alternatively, click the Add To
button ( ) to add the material to any available model component or to an
existing or new user-defined material library. You can also right-click the selected
material node to add that material to a model component or user-defined material
library. Materials that you have selected to add to any of the model components
appear in the Added to model list.
4 Click Done ( ) to add the materials to the model tree in the Model Builder and close
the Material Browser. If it is the first material in that model component, the material
in the Model Builder becomes the default material; otherwise the material is initially
not used anywhere but becomes the active material in the domains (or other
geometric entities) that you pick to add to that material’s selection list.

18 | CHAPTER 2: USING THE MATERIAL LIBRARY

Materials
Use the nodes under Materials ( ) to add predefined or user-defined materials, to
specify material properties using model inputs, functions, values, and expressions as
needed, or to create a custom material library. Also see Material Link and Switch for
Materials.

MATERIAL OVER VIEW

This section provides an overview of the materials in the Component node and where
they are used.

The Material column lists the current materials in the Component using the materials’
node labels from the model tree according to the settings defined in Displaying Node
Names, Tags, and Types in the Model Builder.

The Selection column lists the geometric entities selected for the material (the domains,
boundaries, or edges where the material is defined).

ERRORS RELATING TO THE MATERIAL NODES

If a material property in a physics interface takes its value from a material and no
material is defined for the same geometric selection, a stop sign ( ) displays in the
leftmost column, and the Material column contains Entities needing a material. The
Selection column contains the geometric entities where a material definition is missing.
The Materials node also indicate when there is a material error (see Figure 2-3). For
example, if some property is deleted but needed in a part of the geometry, then the
icon indicates where the error is located.

Figure 2-3: An example of a Materials node error.

WO R K I N G W I T H M A T E R I A L S | 19
 The Settings Window for Material
The Settings window for Material ( ) summarizes the predefined or user-defined
material properties for a material. This is where you can add or change material
properties to fit your model and assign the material to all types of geometric entities:
domains (most common), boundaries, edges (3D models only), or points. Also see
Material Link and Switch for Materials.

After adding a material (see The Add Material Window and The Material Browser
Window) click the Material node (for example, Material 1 or Copper) in the Model
Builder. The Settings window for Material opens.

Figure 2-4: Click the Copper node to open the Settings window for Material for the node.

20 | CHAPTER 2: USING THE MATERIAL LIBRARY

GEOMETRIC ENTITY SELECTION
Assign the material to some or all entities on a specific Geometric entity level—Domain,
Boundary, Edge (3D only), or Point—on the geometry in the Graphics window (the
geometry in the model).

By default, the first material in the Component is active in all domains (or
all boundaries or edges if the Component only contains surfaces or
edges). By assigning other materials to some or all domains, the first
material is overridden and remains active only in domains where no other
material, added below it in the Materials branch, is active.

If the Component contains features on different geometric entity levels,

such as solid mechanics in domains coupled to beams on edges, and the
features use the same material, you need to add two Material nodes with
the same material, one defined in the domains, and the other defined on
the edges.

OVERRIDE
This section shows if the material, in some or all parts of the geometry where it is
active, is overridden by another material added underneath it in the Materials branch,
or if it overrides another material above it.

The Overridden by list shows the names of the materials that override this material. The
Selection list in the Geometric Entity section displays (overridden) for the geometric
entities where this material is overridden.

The Overrides list shows the names of the materials that this material overrides.

• Physics Exclusive and Contributing Node Types

• Physics and Variables Selection
• Physics Node Status

MATERIAL PROPERTIES
You can add material properties to the Component if they are not already included. To
do so, browse the available material property categories (Basic Properties, Acoustics, and
so on), and select a material property or a collection of material properties in one of
the property groups or material models that appear under the main level of material

WO R K I N G W I T H M A T E R I A L S | 21
 property categories. Right-click the material property or property group and select Add
to Material, or click the Add to material button ( ) to add the material property or
group of properties to the material.

Review the properties listed in the Material Contents table before adding
new material properties.

For example, under Acoustics>Viscous Model select Bulk viscosity (muB) and right-click
to Add to Material or click the Add button ( ). If you add a material model like the
Viscous Model with more than one property, all its material properties are added to the
Material Contents. In this example, a Viscous model node is added to the Model Builder,
and its associated properties are added to the Material Contents table.

To delete a property group, right-click the property group node (in the
Model Builder) and select Delete ( ). The Basic property group cannot be
deleted.

A Note about Adding Basic Material Properties

Material properties can be added to the Basic group or to any User-Defined Property
Group from two locations—the Settings windows for Material and Property Group.

• When material properties are added from the Basic node’s or a user-defined group
node’s Settings window for Property Group, they are listed under Output Properties
and Model Inputs in that Settings window.
• When material properties are added from the Settings window for Material, the
available material properties are listed under Material Properties and are added to the
list under Material Contents with the property group listed. The list under Material
Contents also contains material properties added from a subnode with a Settings
window for Property Group.

Material Type
The Material type setting decides how materials behave and how material properties are
interpreted when the mesh is deformed. Select Solid for materials whose properties
change as functions of material strain, material orientation, and other variables
evaluated in a material reference configuration (material frame). Select Non-solid for
materials whose properties are defined only as functions of the current local state at
each point in the spatial frame and for which no unique material reference
configuration can be defined.

22 | CHAPTER 2: USING THE MATERIAL LIBRARY

Simply put, Solid materials associate material properties with specific pieces of the
material, and the properties follow the material as it moves around. In particular, a
solid material may be inherently anisotropic, meaning that its axes rotate together with
the material. The Non-solid choice, in contrast, applies typically to liquids and gases
whose properties are associated with fixed points in space and insensitive to local
rotation of the material. Such materials are inherently isotropic when studied in
isolation, but may exhibit anisotropy induced by external fields. In practice, this means
that any anisotropic tensor properties in a Non-solid material must be functions of
some external vector field.

MATERIAL CONTENTS
This section lists all the material properties that are defined for the material or required
by the physics in the model. The table lists the Property, Name, Value, and Unit for the
material property as well as the Property group that the material property belongs to.
The Property group corresponds to the subnodes in the Model Builder with the same
name. If required, edit the values or expression for the property’s Value.

The left column provides visual cues about the status of each property:

• A stop sign ( ) indicates that an entry in the Value column is required. It means
that the material property is required by a physics feature in the model but is
undefined. When you enter a value in the Value column, the material property is
added to its property group.
• A warning sign ( ) indicates that the material property has been added to the
material but is still undefined. An entry is only required if the material property is to
be used in the model.
• A green check mark ( ) indicates that the property has a Value and is currently
being used in the physics of the model.
• Properties with no indication in the left column are defined but not currently used
by any physics in the model.

WO R K I N G W I T H M A T E R I A L S | 23
 APPEARANCE
The settings in this section make it possible to control or change the default appearance
of a material in the Graphics window when working in the materials or physics parts of
the model tree.

In 3D components, the material is rendered including color and texture

when Scene Light is active. In 2D models and in 3D components when
Scene Light is turned off, only a change of color is visible.

The Family list provides quick settings approximating the appearance of a number of
common materials—Air, Aluminum, Brick, Concrete, Copper, Gold, Iron, Lead, Magnesium,
Plastic, Steel, Titanium, and Water. Select Custom to make further adjustments of the
specific settings for colors, texture, reflectance, and so on. The default custom settings
are inherited from the material selected last from the Family list.

The texture and reflectance properties only take effect when the
preference settings for the visualization are optimized for quality. When
optimized for performance, the appearance includes color only. To set
this, open The Preferences Dialog Box, click Graphics and Plot Windows
and click to select the Show material color and texture check box to display
material texture and color.

Specular Color, Diffuse Color, and Ambient Color

For each of these properties, click the Color button to assign a Custom specular color or
select a standard color from the list—Black, Blue, Cyan, Gray, Green, Magenta, Red, White,
or Yellow.

The combination of Specular color, Diffuse color, and Ambient color gives a 3D object its
overall color:

• Specular color is the color of the light of a specular reflection (specular reflection is
the type of reflection that is characteristic of light reflected from a shiny surface).
• Diffuse color represents the true color of an object; it is perceived as the color of the
object itself rather than a reflection of the light. The diffuse color gets darker as the
surface points away from the light (shading). As with Ambient color, if there is a

24 | CHAPTER 2: USING THE MATERIAL LIBRARY

 texture, this is multiplied by the colors in the texture, otherwise it is as if it has a
white texture.
• Ambient color is the color of all the light that surrounds an object; it is the color seen
when an object is in low light. This color is what the object reflects when illuminated
by ambient light rather than direct light. Ambient color creates the effect of having
light hit the object equally from all directions. As with Diffuse color, if there is a
texture, this is multiplied by the colors in the texture, otherwise it is as if it has a
white texture.

For examples of specular, diffuse, and ambient light, which are related to
these definitions, see About the 3D View Light Sources and Attributes in
the COMSOL Multiphysics Reference Manual.

Noise
The Noise check box is selected by default, with the default Normal vector noise scale
and Normal vector noise frequency taken from the material. Enter other values as
needed, or click to clear the Noise check box.

• Noise is a texture that disturbs the normals when calculating lighting on the surface.
This causes the surface to look rough and textured.
• Normal vector noise scale is the power of the noise texture, a high value creates a
stronger texture of the surface. A value between 0–1 is suitable.
• Normal vector noise frequency is the size of the noise disturbances, a small value
creates smaller features on the texture. A value between 0–10 is suitable.

Diffuse and Ambient Color Opacity

The default Diffuse and ambient color opacity is 1.

Lighting Model
The default Lighting model—Blinn-Phong or Cook-Torrance—is based on the material.
Select Simple instead as needed.

The different lighting models provide a set of techniques used to calculate the
reflection of light from surfaces to create the appropriate shading. For example, a
specular highlight is the bright spot of light that appears on shiny objects when
illuminated. Specular highlights are important in 3D computer graphics because they
provide a strong visual cue for the shape of an object and its location with respect to
light sources in the scene.

WO R K I N G W I T H M A T E R I A L S | 25
 For Blinn-Phong the default Specular exponent is 64. The specular exponent determines
the size of the specular highlight. Typical values for this property range from 1 to 500,
with normal objects having values in the range 5 to 20. This model is particularly useful
for representing shiny materials.

For Cook-Torrance the default Reflectance at normal incidence and Surface roughness are
taken from the material. The Cook-Torrance lighting model accounts for wavelength
and color shifting and is a general model for rough surfaces. It is targeted at metals and
plastics, although it can also represent many other materials.

• Reflectance at normal incidence is the amount of incoming light (0–1) from the
normal direction (of the surface) that is reflected.
• Surface roughness is a value that describes microreflectance on the surface. Higher
values create a rougher look of the surface, with fewer highlights. A value from 0–1
is suitable.

Property Groups
The Settings window for Property Group is where output properties and the model
inputs are added, local properties are defined, and expressions for material properties
are entered in a specific property group such as Basic. The property groups are
subnodes to a material node. The Settings window for Property Group is displayed when
you click the property group node (for example, Basic) under the material node
(typically with the material’s name— Aluminum, for example) in the Model Builder.

26 | CHAPTER 2: USING THE MATERIAL LIBRARY

Figure 2-5: An example of a Basic Settings window for Property Group.

OUTPUT PROPERTIES AND MODEL INPUTS

The predefined material properties in the property group appears in the Output
properties table. Under Quantities you can add additional material properties to the
Output properties list or add model inputs to the Model inputs list.

Output Properties under Quantities is only available from the Basic material
properties and with user-defined property groups.

The model inputs are physical quantities such as temperature that are used as inputs in
the expressions that define the output properties (for example, to describe a
temperature-dependent physical quantity). For example, adding Temperature as a

WO R K I N G W I T H M A T E R I A L S | 27
 model input with the variable name T makes it possible to use an expression for the
heat capacity at constant pressure Cp such as 300[J/(kg*K)]*T[1/K] that works
regardless of the name of the actual dependent variable for temperature in the model
that uses the temperature-dependent material. Without the model input, the
expression above only works with a temperature variable called T.

If required, edit the expressions in the Output properties list’s Expression column; edit
directly in the table or by clicking the Edit button ( ), which opens a dialog box for
easier specification of orthotropic and anisotropic material properties (tensors): Select
Isotropic, Diagonal, Symmetric, or Anisotropic when entering the data in the material
property’s dialog box. In the Expression column, use a syntax with curly braces such as
{k11, k21, k31, k12, k22, k32, k13, k23, k33} to enter anisotropic material
properties for a 3-by-3 tensor, for example, kij in the order k11, k21, k31, k12, k22, k32,
k13, k23, and k33. 1, 2, and 3 represent the first, second, and third direction in the
active coordinate system.

Use the Move up ( ), Move down ( ), and Delete ( ) buttons to organize the
tables as needed.

LOCAL PROPERTIES
Here you can enter a user-defined Property and its corresponding Expression and
organize the table as needed. These local properties are useful for parameterizing
functions that describe material properties, if they contain other inputs than those that
are model inputs (such as temperature and pressure). For example, a local property can
be a reference value at a certain temperature. Use the Move up ( ), Move down ( ),
and Delete ( ) buttons to organize the tables as needed.

You can use local properties to parameterize a material (for example, to

create a generic “template” material for a particular symmetry class of
anisotropic materials). You can then adjust the local property values for
each instance of the material.

About Automatic Adding of Property Groups to a Material

Material property groups are automatically added to the material node in the Model
Builder. You can also add additional predefined property groups or create a User-Defined
Property Group (on the Materials toolbar, click User-defined Property Group ( ) or
right-click the Material node. The available properties are collected in property groups
according to the physical context.

28 | CHAPTER 2: USING THE MATERIAL LIBRARY

Each property group has a Settings window for Property Group. When a Model Builder
node is clicked (for example, Basic), the Settings window for Property Group displays
specific information about that property group. The physical properties for all property
groups are summarized in a Material Contents table on the Settings window for Material.

Material Link
Add a Material Link node ( ) under a Materials node in a model component to add a
link to a material that you have added under the global Materials node ( ) and use it
as a material in that component’s geometry. The Material Link node’s Settings window
is similar to the Settings window for a material node (see The Settings Window for
Material), with the exception that there is no Material Properties section. Instead, it
includes the following section:

LINK SETTINGS
From the Material list, select the global material that you want to link to:

• Any material node, to use that material in the component.

• Any Switch node, if you want to run a material sweep.
• None, to not link to any global material.

Switch for Materials

Use the Switch node ( ) to switch between materials during a solver sweep. You add
the materials as subnodes under the Switch node. Right-click to add a Blank Material,
or select Add Material to select a material from the Add Material window. The switch for
materials acts essentially as a switch statement in a programming language; that is, it
dynamically select one of its underlying branches depending on a parameter that can
be controlled from the solvers, using a Material Sweep study.

The Switch node’s Settings window contains the following sections:

MATERIAL CONTENTS
This section lists all the material properties that are defined for the material or required
by the physics in the model, when you have added the Switch node as the material in a
Material Link node under Materials in a model component. The table lists the Property,
Name, Value, and Unit for the material property as well as the Property group that the
material property belongs to. The Property group corresponds to the subnodes in the

WO R K I N G W I T H M A T E R I A L S | 29
 Model Builder with the same name. If required, edit the values or expression for the
property’s Value.

The list includes properties that are defined by all materials under the Switch node. The
left column provides visual cues about the status of each property:

• A stop sign ( ) indicates that an entry in the Value column is required. It means
that the material property is required by a physics feature in the model but is
undefined. When you enter a value in the Value column, the material property is
added to its property group.
• A warning sign ( ) indicates that the material property has been added to the
material but is still undefined. An entry is only required if the material property is to
be used in the model.
• A green check mark ( ) indicates that the property has a Value and is currently
being used in the physics of the model.

APPEARANCE
The settings in this section make it possible to control or change the default appearance
of the material switch in the Graphics window when working in the materials or physics
parts of the model tree. See The Settings Window for Material for more information.

30 | CHAPTER 2: USING THE MATERIAL LIBRARY

Material Properties
The materials included in the Material Library are defined by unique material
properties, each available as a function of temperature or another appropriate
argument. Table 2-3 lists most of the material properties in the Materials Library.

It is important to check the validity of the material property function

under the conditions that you are interested in investigating. See
Checking the Validity of Properties in the Material Library.

Individual material properties contained in the Material Library are based

on the Material Property Database (MPDB) from JAHM Software, Inc.

Viewing Material Property Information

For all properties contained in the Material Library, you can view applicable literature
references, notes, and reference temperatures in the Material Browser Property
reference section.

1 Open the Material Browser.

2 Under Material Library, click to select a material. For example, Nitrogen. The
information about this material displays on the right-hand side of the window.
3 Under Properties in the table, click a Property to see if it has a Property reference. See
Figure 2-6.

MATERIAL PROPERTIES | 31
 Figure 2-6: An example of where you can find the property reference information for a
material. In this example, Density has information available in the Property reference
section. You can hover over the section and drag to expand it if required.

Functions Default Values in the Material Library

The material property expressions stored in the Material Library contain calls to the
corresponding material property functions using input variables (arguments) as in
Table 2-2. The default variable name can be changed in the property expressions to
match actual variable names in a model. When a material property is used by a physics
feature set to retrieve the property From material this is not necessary. In that case, the
actual variable are retrieved from the Model Inputs section of the same feature and
automatically substituted into the material property expression.

If you, on the other hand, want to access material properties from a material explicitly,
you need to make sure that the function argument variables used in the property
expressions exist and can be evaluated in the model. For example, if the variable T2 is

32 | CHAPTER 2: USING THE MATERIAL LIBRARY

used for temperature, change the argument of the property functions from T to T2 in
the expressions.

The argument does not have to be a variable defined by the model (such
as dependent variables)—it can also be a user-defined constant or variable.
In general, COMSOL Multiphysics tries to find the best match for
evaluating function arguments when material properties are accessed
explicitly.

TABLE 2-2: DEFAULT FUNCTION ARGUMENTS IN MATERIAL PROPERTY EXPRESSIONS

ARGUMENT DEFAULT VARIABLE UNIT

Temperature T K
Time t h
Effective plastic strain epe -
Number of cycles n -
Norm of H field normH_emnc A/m
Norm of B field normB_emqa T

Available Material Library Material Properties

The following table lists the material properties in the Material Library:
TABLE 2-3: MATERIAL LIBRARY: AVAILABLE MATERIAL PROPERTIES

PROPERTY SHORT NAME ARGUMENT SI UNIT

Coefficient of thermal expansion alpha Temperature 1/K

Creep strength CS Time Pa
Density rho Temperature kg/m3
Dynamic viscosity eta Temperature Pa·s
Electrical conductivity sigma Temperature S/m
Resistivity res Temperature ohm·m
Elongation elong Temperature -
Fatigue E-N curve FEN Number of cycles Pa
Fatigue S-N curve FSN Number of cycles Pa
Heat capacity C Temperature J/(kg·K)
Bulk modulus K Temperature Pa
Shear modulus G Temperature Pa

MATERIAL PROPERTIES | 33
 TABLE 2-3: MATERIAL LIBRARY: AVAILABLE MATERIAL PROPERTIES

PROPERTY SHORT NAME ARGUMENT SI UNIT

Instantaneous coefficient of thermal CTE Temperature 1/K

expansion
Linear expansion dL Temperature -
Molar heat capacity HC Temperature J/(mol·K)
Nonlinear magnetic flux density, norm normB Norm of H field T
Nonlinear magnetic field, norm normH Norm of B field A/m
Normal total emissivity nemiss Temperature -
Poisson’s ratio nu Temperature -
Relative permeability mur Norm of H field -
Stress rupture SR Time Pa
Surface emissivity epsilon Temperature -
Tensile strength Syt Temperature Pa
Thermal conductivity k Temperature W/(m·K)
Thermal diffusivity TD Temperature m2/s
True stress–true strain curve in tension Syfunc Strain Pa
True stress–true strain curve in Syfunccomp Strain Pa
compression
Vapor pressure VP Temperature Pa
Yield strength level Sys Temperature Pa
Young’s modulus E Temperature Pa

Checking the Validity of Properties in the Material Library

The following section lists points to consider about the definition, error estimate, and
conditions for some of the Material Library properties listed in Table 2-3.

The property functions listed below have a literature reference where you
can find more details about the conditions and validity range for that
specific property.

34 | CHAPTER 2: USING THE MATERIAL LIBRARY

COEFFICIENT OF THERMAL EXPANSION
• The coefficient is defined as (ΔL/L)T/(T − Tref) and in most cases, it is calculated
from the ΔL/L values.
• The error is expected to be in the range of 10–15%, but it might be higher near
room temperature due to the small value of T − Tref.

ELASTIC AND INITIAL SHEAR MODULUS

• The data accuracy is approximately 5–10%.
• For solder alloys the literature reports a wide spread of values. Data from several
sources (when available) are evaluated, and representative values are given; the error
is estimated to be 10–25%.
• For some polymers the flexural modulus is used as the elastic modulus, and it is
typically within 10% of the elastic modulus.
• Typically, values measured with a strain gauge are approximately 10% lower than
those measured with a dynamic technique.
• Values measured by a dynamic technique are preferred over those measured by
strain gauge techniques.
• For cubic materials where the elastic and shear modulus are calculated from the
elastic constants (C11, C12, and C44), the Material Library uses the average of the
Reuss and Voigt equations (see R.F.S. Hearmon, Advances in Physics, vol. 5, 1956,
p. 232).
• For isotropic solids (glasses), it uses methods from L.D. Landau and E.M. Lifshitz,
Theory of Elasticity, Addison-Wesley, New York, 1966.

PO IS SO N' S RATIO AN D INITIAL BULK MODULUS

• Calculated from the elastic modulus and the shear modulus using standard
relationships, and in this sense they are self-consistent and accurate.
• Data accuracy is approximately 10–20%. Because these are derived quantities the
error can be significantly higher.
• The curves for these properties often show improbable shapes that are most likely
due to their derived nature and are not believed to be real. If the elastic and shear
modulus were determined in a self-consistent manner, the curves would likely be
much better behaved. However, all of the data are presented “as is” from the
original references and are self-consistent within the Material Library.

MATERIAL PROPERTIES | 35
 THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
• Can be very sensitive to impurities, heat treatment, and mechanical worked state,
especially at very low temperatures.
• The sensitivity is somewhat decreased above room temperature and decreases as the
amount of alloying increases. Compare 4340-QT (quenched and tempered) and
4340-NT (annealed).

THERMAL DIFFUSIVITY
• For metals this property can be very sensitive to impurities, heat treatment, and
mechanical worked state, especially at very low temperatures.
• This sensitivity is somewhat decreased above room temperature and decreases as the
amount of alloying increases. To see an example of this, compare the data for
elemental (high purity) Fe and Armco iron (commercial purity).

ELECTRIC RESISTIVITY
This property is very sensitive to impurities, heat treatment, and mechanical worked
state, especially at very low temperatures.

ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY
This property is very sensitive to impurities, heat treatment, and mechanical worked
state, especially at very low temperatures.

S U R F A C E E M I S S I V I T Y ( εT)
This property is the measured emissivity over all wavelengths and 2π radians. This is
the emissivity used in the Stefan-Boltzmann law.

N O R M A L T O T A L E M I S S I V I T Y ( εT,n)
• The measured emissivity is over all wavelengths at a direction normal to the surface.
This is the most commonly reported value.
• For polished metal, this assumption is valid: εT/εT,n = 1.15–1.20.
• Both emissivities are sensitive to the surface condition (roughness and oxide
thickness).

D E N S I T Y ( ρ)
• The density for solids is calculated from the room-temperature density and the
linear expansion coefficient and is given by ρ/(1 + ΔL/L)3.
• The data for oxides, carbides, and nitrides depend on the material’s porosity.
• For gases the ideal gas law is used.

36 | CHAPTER 2: USING THE MATERIAL LIBRARY

TE N S I L E S T R E N G T H , Y I E L D S T RE N G T H L EVE L , A N D E L O N G A T I O N

Most of the data for tensile strength, yield strength level, and elongation
is from supplier product brochures. When using this data, remember it is
only representative of the actual material properties.

• The variation with temperature is usually not smooth. Many of these materials are
precipitation hardening alloys, and the temperature affects the aging processes in
different ways at different temperatures.
• Unless otherwise stated, the data are for “short” times at the indicated temperatures
and not for the equilibrium structure.
• These properties are very sensitive to the details of the processing and heat
treatments. Comparison of data from different suppliers indicate that the spread in
the published values is approximately 20% for materials with similar processing. The
spread in the elongation data can be as high as 50–100%.

FATIGUE S-N CUR VE

• Fatigue data is given as the maximum stress, σmax, as function of the number of
cycles. The stress amplitude, maximum stress, and minimum stress are related
through the stress ratio, R.
( σ max – σ min ) σ max
σ a = ------------------------------------ R = -------------
2 σ min

• The maximum stress, σmax, is given together with the stress ratio for all fatigue data.
Then calculate the stress amplitude as:

σ max  1 – ----
1
 R
σ a = --------------------------------
2

CREEP STRENGTH AND STRESS-RUPTURE CUR VES

This property is very sensitive to the test atmosphere as well as the microstructure and
heat treatment of the material.

PO LYMERS AND PO LYMER-BASED COMPOSITES

Properties of polymers and polymer-based composites are sensitive to moisture and
processing conditions, and they can show time-dependence at higher temperatures.

MATERIAL PROPERTIES | 37
 The errors/uncertainties can be large compared to those of other materials. Keep these
aspects in mind when using the properties of these materials.

GENERAL
The magnitude of the errors reported by authors for a given property is usually smaller
by a factor of 2–3 than the error between different sources for the same data. This is
especially true for materials such as ceramics.

38 | CHAPTER 2: USING THE MATERIAL LIBRARY

Other Material Properties Reference
In addition to the specific properties included with the Material Library, the other
material databases also contain predefined variables for various material properties that
can be used when creating a model.

The material properties for the predefined materials are accessible from most physics
interfaces. Using this information, either create a material property group or define a
completely new material.

In the Basic>Property Group window, you can add Output Properties under Quantities
subsection. You can also add Model Inputs to, for example, create a temperature-
dependent material property.

About Model Inputs

The following model inputs (which are scalar or vector-field physical quantities that
appear as inputs in, for example, a temperature-dependent material property) can be

OTHER MATERIAL PROPERTIES REFERENCE | 39

 added to models from the Property Group window (vector fields have three
components enclosed by curly braces).
TABLE 2-4: MODEL INPUTS

MODEL INPUT NAME/VARIABLE

Absolute Pressure pA
Concentration c
Current Density J {J1, J2, J3}
Effective Plastic Strain εpe
Electric Field E {E1, E2, E3}
Frequency f
Magnetic Field H {H1, H2, H3}
Magnetic Flux Density B {B1, B2, B3}
Number Density nd
Strain Reference Temperature Tref
Stress Tensor σ {σ1, σ2, σ3}
Temperature T
Velocity Field u {u1, u2, u3}

Selection of Model Inputs is standard in most cases. Extra information is

included in the documentation as applicable.

To define the absolute pressure for heat transfer, see the settings for the
Heat Transfer in Fluids node in the COMSOL Multiphysics Reference
Manual.

To define the absolute pressure for a Fluid Flow interface, see the settings
for the Fluid Properties node (described for the Laminar Flow interface
in the COMSOL Multiphysics Reference Manual).

If you have a license for a Non-Isothermal Flow interface, see that

documentation for further information.

Model Inputs and Multiphysics Couplings in the COMSOL Multiphysics

Reference Manual

40 | CHAPTER 2: USING THE MATERIAL LIBRARY

About the Output Material Properties

Some of these material groups are only used by physics interfaces in the
add-on modules and detailed information is in the applicable
documentation.

This section describes all available property groups and the material properties that
they contain. These material properties can be added to models from two Settings
windows: the Material window and its subnodes’ Property Group windows.

The Basic group contains over 25 basic properties for use with all materials.

Materials in the COMSOL Multiphysics Reference Manual

BASIC MATERIAL PROPERTIES

These common material properties belong to the Basic property group.

• When this information is accessed from the Basic>Property Group window, it is listed
under Quantities>Output Properties and Variable is listed in the table.
• When this information is accessed from the Material window, it is listed under
Material Properties>Basic Properties and Name is listed in the table under
Material Contents.

TABLE 2-5: BASIC MATERIAL PROPERTIES

PROPERTY NAME/VARIABLE SI UNIT

Absorption Coefficient kappaR 1/m

Bulk Viscosity muB Pa·s
Characteristic Acoustic Impedance Z Pa·s/m
Coefficient of Thermal Expansion alpha 1/K
Compressibility of Fluid chif 1/Pa
Density rho kg/m3
Diffusion Coefficient D m2/s
Dynamic Viscosity mu Pa·s
Electrical Conductivity sigma S/m
Electron Mobility mue m2/(Vs)

OTHER MATERIAL PROPERTIES REFERENCE | 41

 TABLE 2-5: BASIC MATERIAL PROPERTIES

PROPERTY NAME/VARIABLE SI UNIT

Heat Capacity at Constant Pressure Cp J/(kg·K)

Isotropic Structural Loss Factor eta s 1
Mass Flux Mf kg/(m2·s)
Mean Molar Mass Mn kg/mol
Permeability kappa m2
Poisson’s Ratio nu 1
Porosity epsilon 1
Ratio of Specific Heats gamma 1
Relative Permeability mur 1
Relative Permittivity epsilonr 1
Resistivity res Ω·m
Scattering Coefficient sigmaS 1/m
Seebeck Coefficient S V/K
Speed of Sound cp m/s
Storage S 1/Pa
Surface Emissivity epsilon rad 1
Thermal Conductivity k W/(m·K)
Young’s Modulus E Pa

The coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and the resistivity

temperature coefficient have the SI unit 1/K. COMSOL Multiphysics
translates this into the Fahrenheit temperature unit using an offset. This
means that you do not get the expected results.

Use caution when a model uses the coefficient of thermal expansion or the
resistivity temperature coefficient and the unit system’s temperature is not
kelvin.

42 | CHAPTER 2: USING THE MATERIAL LIBRARY

The rest of the material properties are grouped by application area:

• Acoustics Material Properties • Solid Mechanics Material Properties

• Electrochemistry Material • Solid Mechanics Material Properties:
Properties Nonlinear Structural Materials
• Electromagnetic Models Module

• Equilibrium Discharge • Solid Mechanics Material Properties:

Fatigue Module
• Gas Models
• Solid Mechanics Material Properties:
• Piezoelectric Models
Geomechanics Material Model
• Piezoresistive Models
• Semiconductors Material Properties

Acoustics Material Properties

Under Acoustics you find two acoustic material models with their associated material
properties: a Poroacoustics Model, Thermoacoustics Model, and a Viscous Model.

These material property groups (including their associated physical properties) can be
added to models from the Material window. These property groups require the
Acoustics Module.
TABLE 2-6: ACOUSTICS MATERIALS

PROPERTY GROUP AND PROPERTY NAME/VARIABLE SI UNIT

POROACOUSTICS MODEL

Flow resistivity Rf Pa·s/m2

Thermal characteristic length Lth m
Viscous characteristic length Lv m
Tortuosity factor tau 1
THERMOACOUSTICS MODEL

Bulk viscosity muB Pa·s

Density rho kg/m3
Dynamic viscosity mu Pa·s
Heat capacity at constant pressure Cp J/(kg·K)
Thermal conductivity k W/(m·K)
VISCOUS MODEL

Bulk viscosity muB Pa·s

OTHER MATERIAL PROPERTIES REFERENCE | 43

 Electrochemistry Material Properties
These material property groups for electrochemistry (including their associated
physical properties) can be added to models from the Material window. These property
groups require the Batteries & Fuel Cells Module, Corrosion Module, or
Electrodeposition Module.
TABLE 2-7: ELECTROCHEMISTRY MATERIALS

PROPERTY GROUP AND PROPERTY NAME/VARIABLE SI UNIT

ELECTRODE POTENTIAL

Equilibrium potential Eeq V

Reference concentration cEeqref mol/m3
Temperature derivative of dEeqdT V/K
equilibrium potential
ELECTROLYTE CONDUCTIVITY

Electrolyte conductivity sigmal S/m

ELECTROLYTE SALT CONCENTRATION

Electrolyte salt concentration cElsalt mol/m3

LINEARIZED RESISTIVITY This material node defines the electric resistivity
(and conductivity) as a linear function of
temperature.
Reference resistivity rho0 Ω·m
Reference temperature Tref K
Resistivity temperature coefficient alpha 1/K
OPERATIONAL ELECTRODE
STATE-OF-CHARGE

Maximum electrode socmax 1

state-of-charge
Minimum electrode socmin 1
state-of-charge
SPECIES PROPERTIES

Transport number transNum 1

44 | CHAPTER 2: USING THE MATERIAL LIBRARY

Electromagnetic Models
These material property groups for various electromagnetic material models (including
their associated physical properties) can be added to models from the Material window.
These properties require the AC/DC Module, RF Module, or Wave Optics Module.
TABLE 2-8: ELECTROMAGNETIC MODELS MATERIALS

PROPERTY GROUP AND PROPERTY NAME/VARIABLE SI UNIT

BH CURVE This material node is only available with the

AC/DC Module.
Local Properties normH -
Magnetic flux density norm normB T
DIELECTRIC LOSSES

Dielectric loss factor eta_epsilon -

Relative permittivity (imaginary part) epsilonBis 1
Relative permittivity (real part) epsilonPrim 1
E-J CHARACTERISTIC This material node is only available with the
AC/DC Module.
Electric field norm normE V7M
Local Properties normJ -
HB CURVE This material node is only available with the
AC/DC Module.
Local Properties normB -
Magnetic field norm normH A/m
LINEARIZED RESISTIVITY This material node defines the electric
resistivity (and conductivity) as a linear
function of temperature.
Reference resistivity rho0 Ω·m
Reference temperature Tref K
Resistivity temperature coefficient alpha 1/K
LOSS TANGENT This material node assumes zero
conductivity.
Loss tangent delta -
Relative permittivity (real part) epsilonPrim 1
MAGNETIC LOSSES

Relative permeability (imaginary part) murBis -

Relative permeability (real part) murPrim -

OTHER MATERIAL PROPERTIES REFERENCE | 45

 TABLE 2-8: ELECTROMAGNETIC MODELS MATERIALS

PROPERTY GROUP AND PROPERTY NAME/VARIABLE SI UNIT

REFRACTIVE INDEX This material node assumes a relative

permeability of unity and zero conductivity.
This material node is only available with the
RF Module or the Wave Optics Module.
Refractive index, imaginary part ki -
Refractive index n 1

Equilibrium Discharge
These material property groups for all the material models in the Equilibrium
Discharge (including their associated physical properties) can be added to models from
the Material window. These property groups require the Plasma Module.
TABLE 2-9: EQUILIBRIUM DISCHARGE MATERIALS

PROPERTY GROUP AND PROPERTY NAME/VARIABLE SI UNIT

RADIATION HEAT TRANSFER

Total volumetric emission Qrad W/m3

coefficient

Gas Models
This material property group for an ideal gas (including its associated physical
properties) can be added to models from the Material page.
TABLE 2-10: GAS MODELS MATERIALS

PROPERTY GROUP AND PROPERTY NAME/VARIABLE SI UNIT

IDEAL GAS

Heat capacity at constant pressure Cp J/(kg·K)

Mean molar mass Mn kg/mol
Ratio of specific heats gamma 1
Specific gas constant Rs J/(kg·K)

Piezoelectric Models
These material property groups for piezoelectric materials (including their associated
physical properties) can be added to models from the Material window. These property

46 | CHAPTER 2: USING THE MATERIAL LIBRARY

groups require the Acoustics Module, MEMS Module, or Structural Mechanics
Module.
TABLE 2-11: PIEZOELECTRIC MATERIALS

PROPERTY GROUP AND PROPERTY NAME/VARIABLE SI UNIT

STRAIN-CHARGE FORM

Compliance matrix sE 1/Pa

Coupling matrix dET C/N
Loss factor for compliance sE 1
matrix
Loss factor for coupling matrix d 1
Loss factor for electrical εT 1
permittivity
Relative permittivity epsilonrT 1
STRESS-CHARGE FORM

Coupling matrix eES C/m2

Elasticity matrix cE Pa
Loss factor for elasticity matrix cE 1
Loss factor for coupling matrix e 1
Loss factor for electrical εS 1
permittivity
Relative permittivity epsilonrS 1

Piezoresistive Models
These material property groups for piezoresistive materials (including their associated
physical properties) can be added to models from the Material window. These property
groups require the MEMS Module.
TABLE 2-12: GAS MODELS MATERIALS

PROPERTY GROUP AND PROPERTY NAME/VARIABLE SI UNIT

ELASTORESISTANCE FORM

Elastoresistive coupling matrix ml Ω·m

PIEZORESISTANCE FORM

Piezoresistive coupling matrix Pil A/m2

OTHER MATERIAL PROPERTIES REFERENCE | 47

 Solid Mechanics Material Properties
These material property groups for material models in solid mechanics (including their
associated physical properties) can be added to models from the Material window.
TABLE 2-13: SOLID MECHANICS MATERIALS

PROPERTY GROUP AND PROPERTY NAME/VARIABLE SI UNIT

LINEAR ELASTIC MATERIAL

ANISOTROPIC

Elasticity matrix D Pa
Loss factor for elasticity matrix D eta_D 1
ANISOTROPIC, VOIGT NOTATION

Elasticity matrix, Voigt notation DV0 Pa

Loss factor for elasticity matrix D, Voigt eta_DVo 1
notation
BULK MODULUS AND SHEAR MODULUS

Bulk modulus K N/m2

Shear modulus G N/m2
LAMÉ PARAMETERS

Lamé parameter λ lambLame N/m2

Lamé parameter μ muLame N/m2
ORTHOTROPIC

Young’s modulus Evector Pa

Poisson’s ratio nuvector 1
Shear modulus Gvector N/m2
Loss factor for orthotropic Young’s modulus eta_Evector 1
Loss factor for orthotropic shear modulus eta_Gvector 1
ORTHOTROPIC, VOIGT NOTATION

Shear modulus, Voigt notation GvectorVo N/m2

Loss factor for orthotropic shear modulus, eta_GvectorVo 1
Voigt notation
PRESSURE-WAVE AND SHEAR-WAVE SPEEDS

Pressure-wave speed cp m/s

Shear-wave speed cs m/s
YOUNG’S MODULUS AND POISSON'S RATIO

Young’s modulus E Pa
Poisson’s ratio nu 1

48 | CHAPTER 2: USING THE MATERIAL LIBRARY

TABLE 2-13: SOLID MECHANICS MATERIALS

PROPERTY GROUP AND PROPERTY NAME/VARIABLE SI UNIT

YOUNG’S MODULUS AND SHEAR MODULUS

Young’s modulus E Pa
Shear modulus G N/m2
LINEAR VISCOELASTIC MATERIAL

Long-term shear modulus Gv N/m2

Bulk modulus K N/m2
POROELASTIC MATERIAL

Biot-Willis coefficient alphaB 1

Porosity epsilon 1
Permeability kappa m2

• The Geomechanics Module User’s Guide and Table 2-16

• The Nonlinear Structural Materials Module User’s Guide and
Table 2-14
• The Fatigue Module User’s Guide and Table 2-15

Solid Mechanics Material Properties: Nonlinear Structural Materials

Module
These material property groups for material models in solid mechanics using the
Nonlinear Structural Materials Module (including their associated physical properties)
can be added to models from the Material window.
TABLE 2-14: HYPERELASTIC AND ELASTOPLASTIC MATERIAL PROPERTIES

PROPERTY GROUP AND PROPERTY NAME/VARIABLE SI UNIT

ELASTOPLASTIC MATERIAL

Hardening function sigmagh Pa

Hill’s coefficients Hillcoefficients (m2·s4)/kg2
Initial tensile and shear yield ys N/m2
stresses
Initial yield stress sigmags Pa
Isotropic tangent modulus Et Pa
Kinematic tangent modulus Ek Pa

OTHER MATERIAL PROPERTIES REFERENCE | 49

 TABLE 2-14: HYPERELASTIC AND ELASTOPLASTIC MATERIAL PROPERTIES

PROPERTY GROUP AND PROPERTY NAME/VARIABLE SI UNIT

HYPERELASTIC MATERIALS

ARRUDA-BOYCE

Macroscopic shear modulus mu0 N/m2

Number of segments Nseg 1
BLATZ-KO

Model parameters phiBK 1

Model parameters betaBK 1
Shear modulus muBK Pa
GAO

Model parameters aG Pa
Model parameters nG 1
GENT

Macroscopic shear modulus muG Pa

Model parameters jmG 1
MOONEY-RIVLIN

Model parameters C01, C02, C03, C10, C11, Pa

C12, C20, C21, C30
MURNAGHAN The Murnaghan node adds five model parameters.
The model is based on strain invariants and is
typically used in acoustoelasticity.
Murnaghan third-order elastic l Pa
moduli
Murnaghan third-order elastic m Pa
moduli
Murnaghan third-order elastic n Pa
moduli
Lamé parameter λ lambLame Pa
Lamé parameter μ muLame Pa
VARGA

Model parameters c1VA Pa

Model parameters c2VA Pa
YEOH

Model parameters c1YE Pa

50 | CHAPTER 2: USING THE MATERIAL LIBRARY

TABLE 2-14: HYPERELASTIC AND ELASTOPLASTIC MATERIAL PROPERTIES

PROPERTY GROUP AND PROPERTY NAME/VARIABLE SI UNIT

Model parameters c2YE Pa

Model parameters c3YE Pa

Solid Mechanics Material Properties: Fatigue Module

These material property groups for material models in solid mechanics using the
Fatigue Module (including their associated physical properties) can be added to
models from the Material window.
TABLE 2-15: ELASTOPLASTIC AND FATIGUE BEHAVIOR MATERIAL PROPERTIES

PROPERTY GROUP AND PROPERTY NAME/VARIABLE SI UNIT

ELASTOPLASTIC MATERIAL>RAMBERG-OSGOOD

Cyclic hardening coefficient K_ROcyclic Pa

Cyclic hardening coefficient n_ROcyclic 1
FATIGUE BEHAVIOR>ENERGY-BASED

DARVEAUX

Crack initiation energy coefficient K1_Darveaux 1

Crack initiation energy exponent k2_Darveaux 1
Crack propagation energy K3_Darveaux m
coefficient
Crack propagation energy k4_Darveaux 1
exponent
Reference energy density Wref_Darveaux J/m3
MORROW

Fatigue energy coefficient Wf_Morrow J/m3

Fatigue energy exponent m_Morrow 1
FATIGUE BEHAVIOR>FATIGUE BEHAVIOR>APPROXIMATE S-N CURVE

Transition stress sigmat Pa

Transition life Nt 1
Endurance life Ne 1
FATIGUE BEHAVIOR>GENERAL

Endurance limit sigmae Pa

FATIGUE BEHAVIOR>STRAIN-BASED

COFFIN-MANSON

Fatigue ductility coefficient epsilonf_CM 1

OTHER MATERIAL PROPERTIES REFERENCE | 51

 TABLE 2-15: ELASTOPLASTIC AND FATIGUE BEHAVIOR MATERIAL PROPERTIES

PROPERTY GROUP AND PROPERTY NAME/VARIABLE SI UNIT

Fatigue ductility exponent c_CM 1

Shear fatigue ductility coefficient gammaf_CM 1
Shear fatigue ductility exponent cgamma_CM 1
FATEMI-SOCIE

Normal stress sensitivity k_FS 1

coefficient
WANG-BROWN

Normal stress sensitivity S_WB 1

coefficient
FATIGUE BEHAVIOR>STRESS-BASED

BASQUIN

Fatigue strength coefficient sigmaf_Basquin Pa

Fatigue strength exponent b_Basquin 1
Shear fatigue strength coefficient tauf_Basquin Pa
Shear fatigue strength exponent bgamma_Basquin 1
FINDLEY

Normal stress sensitivity k_Findley 1

coefficient
Limit factor f_Findley Pa
MATAKE

Normal stress sensitivity k_Matake 1

coefficient
Limit factor f_Matake Pa
NORMAL STRESS

Limit factor f_NormalStress Pa

Solid Mechanics Material Properties: Geomechanics Material Model

These material property groups for material models in solid mechanics (including their
associated physical properties) can be added to models from the Material window.
These property groups require the Geomechanics Module.
TABLE 2-16: GEOMECHANICS MODELS MATERIALS

PROPERTY GROUP AND PROPERTY NAME/VARIABLE SI UNIT

CAM-CLAY MATERIAL MODEL

Swelling index kappaSwelling 1

52 | CHAPTER 2: USING THE MATERIAL LIBRARY

TABLE 2-16: GEOMECHANICS MODELS MATERIALS

PROPERTY GROUP AND PROPERTY NAME/VARIABLE SI UNIT

Compression index lambdaComp 1

Initial void ratio e0 1
Cam-clay M parameter M 1
DRUCKER-PRAGER

Drucker-Prager alpha coefficient alphaDrucker 1

Drucker-Prager k coefficient kDrucker Pa
HOEK BROWN

Hoek-Brown m parameter mHB 1

Hoek-Brown s parameter sHB 1
Geological strength index GSI 1
Disturbance factor Dfactor 1
Intact rock parameter miHB 1
LADE-DUNCAN

Lade-Duncan k coefficient kLade 1

MATSUOKA-NAKAI

Matsuoka-Nakai mu coefficient muMatsuoka 1

MOHR-COULOMB

Cohesion cohesion Pa
Angle of internal friction internalphi rad
OTTOSEN

Ottosen a parameter aOttosen 1

Ottosen b parameter bOttosen 1
Size factor k1Ottosen 1
Shape factor k2Ottosen 1
YIELD STRESS PARAMETERS

Uniaxial tensile strength sigmaut Pa

Uniaxial compressive strength sigmauc Pa
Biaxial compressive strength sigmabc Pa

OTHER MATERIAL PROPERTIES REFERENCE | 53

 Semiconductors Material Properties
These material property groups for all the material models in semiconductors
(including their associated physical properties) can be added to models from the
Material window. These property groups require the Semiconductor Module.

The Property Group, Variable Names, and SI Unit columns are applicable
to all materials in the Semiconductor Module. However, the Values and
References columns listed in Table 2-17 are specifically for Silicon.

TABLE 2-17: SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL PROPERTIES (ALL MATERIALS) AND VALUES AND REFERENCES FOR
SILICON

PROPERTY GROUP AND NAME/VARIABLE (ALL SI UNIT VALUE FOR SILICON REFERENCE
PROPERTY (ALL MATERIALS) FOR SILICON
MATERIALS)

BASIC

Relative permittivity epsilonr 1 11.7 Ref. 1

Thermal k W/(m·K) 131 W/(m·K) Ref. 1
conductivity
Density rho kg/m3 2329 kg/m3 Ref. 1
Heat capacity at Cp J/(kg·K) 700 J/(kg·K) Ref. 1
constant pressure
BAND-GAP NARROWING MODELS>JAIN-ROULSTON MODEL

Jain-Roulston An_jr V 3.5×10-8 V Ref. 12

coefficient (n-type),
A
Jain-Roulston Bn_jr V 0V Ref. 12
coefficient (n-type),
B
Jain-Roulston Cn_jr V 0V Ref. 12
coefficient (n-type),
C
Jain-Roulston Ap_jr V 3.5×10-8 V Ref. 12
coefficient (p-type),
A
Jain-Roulston Bp_jr V 0V Ref. 12
coefficient (p-type),
B

54 | CHAPTER 2: USING THE MATERIAL LIBRARY

TABLE 2-17: SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL PROPERTIES (ALL MATERIALS) AND VALUES AND REFERENCES FOR
SILICON

PROPERTY GROUP AND NAME/VARIABLE (ALL SI UNIT VALUE FOR SILICON REFERENCE
PROPERTY (ALL MATERIALS) FOR SILICON
MATERIALS)

Jain-Roulston Cp_jr V 0V Ref. 12

coefficient (p-type),
C
Band-gap narrowing Nref_jr 1/m3 1 1/cm3 Ref. 12
reference
concentration
Conduction band alpha_jr 1 0.5 Ref. 12
fraction
BAND-GAP NARROWING MODELS>SLOTBOOM MODEL

Band-gap narrowing Eref_sb V 0.00692 V Ref. 11

reference energy
Band-gap narrowing Nref_sb 1/m3 1.3×1017 1/cm3 Ref. 11
reference
concentration
Conduction band alpha_sb 1 0.5 Ref. 11
fraction
GENERATION-RECOMBINATION>AUGER RECOMBINATION

Auger Cn m6/s 2.8×10-31 cm6/s Ref. 2

recombination (valid at 300 K)
factor, electrons
Auger Cp m6/s 9.9×10-32 cm6/s Ref. 2
recombination (valid
factor, holes at 300 K)
GENERATION-RECOMBINATION>DIRECT RECOMBINATION

Direct C m3/s 0 m3/s N/A

recombination factor
GENERATION-RECOMBINATION>IMPACT IONIZATION

a factor, electrons, an 1/V 0.426 1/V Ref. 3

impact ionization
a factor, holes, ap 1/V 0.243 1/V Ref. 3
impact ionization
b factor, electrons, bn V/m 4.81×105 V/cm Ref. 3
impact ionization
b factor, holes, bp V/m 6.53×105 V/cm Ref. 3
impact ionization

OTHER MATERIAL PROPERTIES REFERENCE | 55

 TABLE 2-17: SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL PROPERTIES (ALL MATERIALS) AND VALUES AND REFERENCES FOR
SILICON

PROPERTY GROUP AND NAME/VARIABLE (ALL SI UNIT VALUE FOR SILICON REFERENCE
PROPERTY (ALL MATERIALS) FOR SILICON
MATERIALS)

c factor, electrons, cn 1/KValues 3.05×10-4 1/K Ref. 3

impact ionization
c factor, holes, cp 1/K 5.35×10-4 1/K Ref. 3
impact ionization
d factor, electrons, dn 1/K 6.86×10-4 1/K Ref. 3
impact ionization
d factor, holes, dp 1/K 5.67×10-4 1/K Ref. 3
impact ionization
GENERATION-RECOMBINATION>SHOCKLEY-READ-HALL RECOMBINATION

Electron lifetime, taun s 10 μs Ref. 4

SRH
Hole lifetime, SRH taup s 10 μs Ref. 4
MOBILITY MODELS>ARORA MOBILITY MODEL

Electron mobility mun0_ref_arora m2/(V·s) 1252 cm2/(V·s) Ref. 5

reference
Hole mobility mup0_ref_arora m2/(V·s) 407 cm2/(V·s) Ref. 5
reference
Electron mobility mun_min_ref_arora m2/(V·s) 88 cm2/(V·s) Ref. 5
reference minimum
Hole mobility mup_min_ref_arora m2/(V·s) 53.4 cm2/(V·s) Ref. 5
reference minimum
Electron reference Nn0_ref_arora 1/m3 1.26×10171/cm3 Ref. 5
impurity
concentration
Hole reference Np0_ref_arora 1/m3 2.35×10171/cm3 Ref. 5
impurity
concentration
Alpha coefficient alpha0_arora 1 0.88 Ref. 5
Mobility reference beta1_arora 1 -0.57 Ref. 5
minimum exponent
Mobility reference beta2_arora 1 -2.33 Ref. 5
exponent
Impurity beta3_arora 1 2.4 Ref. 5
concentration
reference exponent

56 | CHAPTER 2: USING THE MATERIAL LIBRARY

TABLE 2-17: SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL PROPERTIES (ALL MATERIALS) AND VALUES AND REFERENCES FOR
SILICON

PROPERTY GROUP AND NAME/VARIABLE (ALL SI UNIT VALUE FOR SILICON REFERENCE
PROPERTY (ALL MATERIALS) FOR SILICON
MATERIALS)

Alpha coefficient beta4_arora m2/(V·s) -0.146 Ref. 5

exponent
Reference Tref_arora K 300 K Ref. 5
temperature
MOBILITY MODELS>CAUGHEY-THOMAS MOBILITY MODEL

Electron alpha alphan0_ct 1 1.11 Ref. 6

coefficient
Electron alpha betan1_ct 1 0.66 Ref. 6
exponent
Electron saturation vn0_ct m/s 1 x 107 cm/s Ref. 6
velocity
Electron velocity betan2_ct 1 -0.87 Ref. 6
saturation exponent
Hole alpha alphap0_ct 1 1.21 Ref. 6
coefficient
Hole alpha exponent betap1_ct 0.17 Ref. 6
Hole saturation vp0_ct m/s 8.37x 106 cm/s Ref. 6
velocity
Hole velocity betap2_ct 1 -0.52 Ref. 6
saturation exponent
Reference Tref_ct K 300 K Ref. 6
temperature
MOBILITY MODELS>FLETCHER MOBILITY MODEL

Fletcher mobility F1_fl 1/(cm·V·s) 1.04×1021 1/ Ref. 7

coefficient 1 (cm·V·s)
Fletcher mobility F2_fl 1/m2 7.45×1013 1/cm2 Ref. 7
coefficient 2
Reference Tref_fl K 300 K Ref. 7
temperature
MOBILITY MODELS>LOMBARDI SURFACE MOBILITY MODEL

Electron delta deltan_ls V/s 5.82 x 1014 V/s Ref. 8

coefficient
Electron mobility mun1_ls m2/(V·s) 4.75 x 107cm2/ Ref. 8
reference (V·s)

OTHER MATERIAL PROPERTIES REFERENCE | 57

 TABLE 2-17: SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL PROPERTIES (ALL MATERIALS) AND VALUES AND REFERENCES FOR
SILICON

PROPERTY GROUP AND NAME/VARIABLE (ALL SI UNIT VALUE FOR SILICON REFERENCE
PROPERTY (ALL MATERIALS) FOR SILICON
MATERIALS)

Electron mobility mun2_ls m2/(V·s) 1.74 x 105 cm2/ Ref. 8

reference (V·s)
Electron alpha alphan_ls 1 0.125 Ref. 8
coefficient
Hole delta deltap_ls V/s 2.05 x 1014 V/s Ref. 8
coefficient
Hole mobility mup1_ls m2/(V·s) 9.93 x 107 cm2/ Ref. 8
reference (V·s)
Hole mobility mup2_ls m2/(V·s) 8.84 x 105 cm2/ Ref. 8
reference (V·s)
Hole alpha alphap_ls 1 0.0317 Ref. 8
coefficient
Reference Tref_ls K 1K Ref. 8
temperature
Electric field Eref_ls V/m 1 V/cm Ref. 8
reference
Doping Nref_ls 1/m3 1 1/cm3 Ref. 8
concentration
reference
MOBILITY MODELS>POWER LAW MOBILITY MODEL

Electron mobility mun0_pl m2/(V·s) 1448 cm2/(V·s) Ref. 5

reference
Hole mobility mup0_pl m2/(V·s) 473 cm2/(V·s) Ref. 5
reference
Electron exponent alphan_pl 1 2.33 Ref. 5
Hole exponent alphap_pl 1 2.23 Ref. 5
Reference Tref_pl K 300 K Ref. 5
temperature
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL

Band gap Eg0 V 1.12 V Ref. 1

(valid at 300 K)
Effective density of Nc 1/m3 2.8×1019 1/cm3 Ref. 1
states, conduction ×(T/300 K)3/2
band

58 | CHAPTER 2: USING THE MATERIAL LIBRARY

TABLE 2-17: SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL PROPERTIES (ALL MATERIALS) AND VALUES AND REFERENCES FOR
SILICON

PROPERTY GROUP AND NAME/VARIABLE (ALL SI UNIT VALUE FOR SILICON REFERENCE
PROPERTY (ALL MATERIALS) FOR SILICON
MATERIALS)

Effective density of Nv 1/m3 1.04×1019 1/cm3 Ref. 1

states, valence band ×(T/300 K)3/2
Electron affinity chi0 V 4.05 V Ref. 1
2 2
Electron mobility mun m /(V·s) 1450 cm /(V·s) Ref. 1
2 2
Hole mobility mup m /(V·s) 500 cm /(V·s) Ref. 1

OTHER MATERIAL PROPERTIES REFERENCE | 59

 Using Functions
The Material Library describes material properties with functions, usually functions of
temperature, and for this purpose it uses piecewise analytic functions (polynomials).
For user-defined property functions, three types of functions can be defined—analytic
functions, piecewise analytic functions, and interpolation functions.

Functions are useful for describing material properties as, for example, functions of
temperature or pressure.

Adding a Function to the Material

Material functions are either automatically added to the Model Builder sequence
(usually with materials from the material library) or functions can be added based on
individual requirements.

1 Add a material to the Component node (see The Material Browser Window and The
Add Material Window).
2 Add an Analytic ( ), Interpolation ( ), or Piecewise ( ) function.

To add an Analytic ( ), Interpolation ( ), or Piecewise ( ) function:

• On the Materials toolbar click Analytic, Interpolation, or Piecewise.

• Right-click a property group node, for example, Basic and select a
function from the Functions list.

To add an Analytic ( ), Interpolation ( ), or Piecewise ( ) function:

• Right-click a property group node, for example, Basic and select a

function from the Functions list.
• On the Materials contextual toolbar click Analytic, Interpolation, or
Piecewise.

60 | CHAPTER 2: USING THE MATERIAL LIBRARY

 - Select Analytic to add an analytic function of one or more input arguments.
- Select Interpolation to add an interpolation function that can interpolate from
structured data (defined on a grid) or unstructured data (defined on a generic
point cloud).
- Select Piecewise to add a piecewise function that is useful if a material property has
different definitions on different [Link] intervals must not overlap, and
there cannot be any holes between intervals.

• Defining an Analytic Function

• Analytic, Interpolation, and Piecewise in the COMSOL Multiphysics
Reference Manual

Once a function is created, you can use it for any property in the same
property group.

Defining an Analytic Function

Assume that you want to define the density ρ1 for a material as a function of pressure
and temperature: ρ1= ρ1(p, T). You can name the function rho1(p,T) and use the
expression p*0.02897/8.314/T to define the function.

1 On the Materials toolbar click one of the Browse Materials , Add Material , or
Blank Material buttons to add a new material to the Component (or use an
existing material where density is not defined, or redefine the current expression for
the density).
2 Add a Density property to the material.
a In the Model Builder, click the Material node.
b On the Settings window for Material, click to expand the Material Properties
section. Under Basic Properties, right-click Density and Add to Material.
A Density property is added to the Basic property group.
3 In the Model Builder, under the material node, right-click Basic and select
Functions>Analytic. This adds an Analytic subnode ( ) under Basic.
4 On the Settings window for Analytic enter rho1 in Function name. Replace the
default.

USING FUNCTIONS | 61
 5 Under the Definition section:
a In the Expression field enter p*0.02897/8.314/T.
b In the Arguments column, enter p,T.
6 Under Units:
a In the Arguments field, enter Pa, K as the units for the pressure and the
temperature, respectively.
b In the Function field: enter kg/m^3 as the unit for the function’s output (density).
The function rho1 can now be used to define the density in your material.

7 Click the Material node. On the Settings window for Material, under Material
Contents, enter rho1(p,T) in the Value column (in the Density row).

Click the Basic node to notice that the Density analytic function is defined on the
Settings window for Property Group under Output properties. See Figure 2-7.

62 | CHAPTER 2: USING THE MATERIAL LIBRARY

Figure 2-7: A density property is defined using an analytic function.

USING FUNCTIONS | 63
64 | CHAPTER 2: USING THE MATERIAL LIBRARY
I n d e x
A add material (window) 16 elastoplastic material model (material
analytic functions, materials and 61 node) 49
anisotropic (material node) 48 elastoresistance form (material node) 47
anisotropic materials electric resistivity 36
properties 28 electrical conductivity 36
anisotropic, Voigt notation (material electrode potential (material node) 44
node) 48 electrolyte conductivity (material node)
Application Libraries window 9 44
Arruda-Boyce (material node) 50 electrolyte salt concentration (material

B Basquin (material node) 52 node) 44

BH curve (material node) 45 elongation 37

Blatz-Ko (material node) 50 emailing COMSOL 9

Blinn-Phong lighting model 26 emissivity

bulk modulus 35 normal total 36

bulk modulus (material node) 48 surface 36

C Cam-Clay material model (material F Fatemi-Socie (material node) 52

node) 52 fatigue S-N curve 37

check mark definition, materials 23 Findley (material node) 52

coefficient of thermal expansion 35 functions

for non-SI units 42 adding to materials 60

Coffin-Manson (material node) 51 G Gao (material node) 50

colors Gent (material node) 50
of materials 24 geometric scope
composition 13 materials, and 21
Cook-Torrance lighting model 26
H HB curve (material node) 45
creep strength 37
Hoek-Brown (material node) 53
D Darveaux (material node) 51
I ideal gas (material node) 46
density 36
input properties 39
dielectric losses (material node) 45
inputs, materials 27
DIN number 12
Internet resources 7
documentation 7
interpolation
Drucker-Prager (material node) 53
functions, materials and 61
E editing
J JAHM Software, Inc 6
material properties 28
E-J characteristic (material node) 45 K knowledge base, COMSOL 10

INDEX| 65
 L Lade-Duncan (material node) 53 O operational electrode state-of-charge
Lamé parameters (material node) 48 (mtaerial node) 44
lighting models 25 orthotropic (material node) 48
linear viscoelastic material (node) 49 orthotropic, Voigt notation (material
linearized resistivity (material node) 44 node) 48
literature references, material proper- Ottosen (material node) 53
ties 31 output properties, materials 27, 41
local
P piecewise functions, materials and 61
properties, materials 28
piezoresistance form (material node) 47
loss tangent (material node) 45
Poisson’s ratio 35
M magnetic losses (material node) 45 Poisson’s ratio (material node) 48
magnitude of errors 38 polymer-based composites 37
Matake (material node) 52 polymers 37
material (node) 20 poroacoustics model (material node) 43
Material Browser (window) 12 poroelastic material (node) 49
material data, properties 6 pressure-wave speed (material node) 48
material properties properties, material library 31
magnitude of errors 38 property groups 26
references for 6, 31 property information 31
Material Property Database (MPDB) 6
R radiation heat transfer (material node)
material type 22
46
materials
reference temperatures, material prop-
color and texture 24
erties 31
geometric scope, and 21
references
local properties 28
for material properties 31
output properties 27, 41
references, for material properites 6
searching 12
refractive index (material node) 46
status 23
resistivity temperature coefficient
materials (node) 19
for non-SI units 42
Matsuoka-Nakai (material node) 53
S search materials 6
Mohr-Coulomb (material node) 53
searching
Mooney-Rivlin (material node) 50
materials 12
Morrow (material node) 51
shear modulus 35
MPH-files 9
shear modulus (material node) 48–49
Murnaghan (material node) 50
shear-wave speed (material node) 48
N normal stress (material node) 52
showing
normal total emissivity 36
material texture and color 24

66 | I N D E X
 smoothing 6
species properties (material node) 44
specular exponent 26
specular highlight 25
stop sign definition, materials 23
strain-charge form (material node) 47
stress-charge form (material node) 47
stress-rupture curves 37
surface emissivity 36
switch functions 29
switch materials 29

T technical support, COMSOL 9

tensile strength 37
thermal conductivity 36
thermal diffusivity 36
thermoacoustics model (material node)
43

U UNS number 12
user-defined property group 28

V Varga (material node) 50

viscous model (material node) 43

W Wang-Brown (material node) 52

warning sign definition, materials 23
websites, COMSOL 10

Y Yeoh (material node) 50

yield strength level 37
yield stress parameters (material node)
53
Young’s modulus (material node) 48

INDEX| 67
68 | I N D E X