Initiation of localized plane deformations at a circular cavity in an infinite compressible nonlinearly elastic medium (Q1063449)

In this work the authors studied the plane deformation of an infinite slab, containing a circular cavity which is subjected to an inner pressure p, within the theory of finite elastostatics. The elastic material they utilized is a homogeneous, isotropic and compressible material, known as Blatz-Ko material. A closed form of solution for the axisymmetric deformation and stress fields are obtained. The authors found that the internal pressure cannot exceed a certain maximum value \(p_{\max}\). They have further shown that below a critical pressure \(p_ e(<p_{\max})\) the governing equations loses ellipticity and the solution becomes discontinuous, although it is smooth for the pressures greater than this value. The possibility of bifurcation into a surface mode is considered and it is shown that this occurs at a value of pressure slightly smaller than \(p_ e\). Such surface wrinkling leads to a periodic distribution of points of stress concentration, from which shear bands may initiate. This work is very useful for the those working on the solution of nonlinear differential equations.