Materialelement

Materialelement is a generic concept used in materials science and related fields to denote a basic unit that encodes the properties and composition of a material for modeling, analysis, or data management. It is not a standardized term with a fixed definition, but is used informally to describe either an element in a finite element model carrying material properties or a record in a materials database that defines a material’s constitutive behavior.

In finite element and simulation contexts, a materialelement typically includes an identifier, an association with a mesh element, and a set of material properties. Common attributes cover density, elastic moduli, Poisson’s ratio, thermal conductivity, and specific heat, together with potential damage, plasticity, diffusion, and other state variables. The description may also include temperature and history data, phase fractions, and microstructural descriptors such as grain size or texture when relevant.

In data management and software frameworks, a materialelement can serve as a modular unit that couples geometry with material behavior. It may reference a constitutive model (linear or nonlinear, isotropic or anisotropic), calibration data, and parameter values, enabling reusability across simulations or databases. The concept supports both single-material elements and composite or multi-phase representations, where properties vary with conditions such as temperature or loading.

Because materialelement is informal, its precise meaning varies by project and software. See also constitutive model, finite element, material database, and phase or composite definitions.