New variational principles in plasticity and their application to composite materials (Q1202605)

A variational method for bounding the effective properties of nonlinear composites with isotropic phases, proposed recently by the author [J. Mech. Phys. Solids 39, No. 1, 45-71 (1991; Zbl 0734.73052)], is given full variational principle status. Two dual versions of the new variational principles are presented and their equivalence to each other, and to the classical variational principles, is demonstrated. The variational principles are used to determine bounds and estimates for the effective energy functions of nonlinear composites with prescribed volume fractions in the context of the deformation theory of plasticity.