A finite element analysis of configurational stability and finite growth of buckling driven delamination (Q1358889)

A theoretical study of a buckling-driven, initially circular, delaminated thin film loaded in equal bi-axial compression is presented. The objective is to study the configurational instability phenomena frequently observed for thin debonded coatings loaded in compression. The analyses are done with the aid of a kinematically nonlinear finite element formulation of the plate problem to model the film, supplemented with a method to account automatically for the redistribution of the stress field as the shape of the advancing delamination is changing. By this procedure, not only the shape of the delaminated film but also the stability properties of the growth follow automatically. The configurational stability properties of the initially circular delamination are assessed by slightly perturbing the delamination front. Finite growth of the buckling-driven thin film was also investigated.