Generalized shear deformations for isotropic incompressible hyperelastic materials

Abstract

Abstract For isotropic incompressible hyperelastic materials the single function characterizing generalized shear deformations or as they are sometimes called anti-plane strain deformations must satisfy two distinct partial differential equations. Knowles [5] has recently given a necessary and sufficient condition for the strain–energy function of the material which if satisfied ensures that the two equations have consistent solutions. It is shown here for the general material not satisfying Knowles' criterion that the only possible consistent solution of the two partial differential equations are those which are already known to exist for all strain–energy functions. More general types of generalized shear deformations for such meterials are shown to exist only for special or restricted form ot the strain-energy function. In derving these results we also obtain an alternative derivation of Knowles' criterion.