Thermodynamics, stability and nonlinear oscillations of viscoelastic solids. I: Differential type solids of second grade (Q2564430)

We study the thermodynamics and stability of a viscoelastic second grade solid whose action is characterized by two microstructural coefficients \(\alpha_1\) and \(\alpha_2\) in addition to the Newtonian viscosity \(\mu\). We show that it is both necessary and sufficient that \(\mu \geq 0\), \(\alpha_1\geq 0\) and \(\alpha_1+\alpha_2=0\) if the material model is to be compatible with thermodynamics and its free energy is to be at a local minimum in equilibrium. Then, we construct a stability theorem for second grade solids which undergo mechanically isolated motions wherein it is shown that the motion of the body relative to its center of mass will dissipate away in time.