On the problem of shear instability of a finite thermoviscoplastic slab: A gradient approach (Q916473)

This paper is concerned with the problem of simple shear of a finite thermoviscoplastic slab with thermally insulated boundaries where constant velocities are applied. The authors study the implications of the introduction of higher order strain gradients in the constitutive equations. First, the stability of the homogeneous solution is investigated. New instability regimes are founded. It is shown that the higher order strain gradients act as stabilizers for the case of heat non-conducting material exhibiting only thermal softening and strain rate sensitivity. Then, the conditions under which infinitesimal fluctuations grow exponentially in time are examined. It is shown that the inclusion of second order strain gradients does not provide any estimate for the preferred wavelength. A preferred wavelength is obtained when fourth gradients of strain are introduced in the flow stress.