The effect of mechanical-driven volumetric change on instability patterns of bilayered soft solids

If a soft solid is compressible, its volume changes with imposed loading. The extent of the volume change depends on its Poisson's ratio. Here, we study the effect of the mechanical-driven volumetric change on buckling and post-buckling behaviors of a hard thin film perfectly bound on a compliant substrate through the theoretical analysis and finite element method. Poisson's ratio of the substrate has been chosen to be in the range of -1 to 0.5, allowing its volume change during deformation. We find that Poisson's ratio cannot only shift the critical strain for the onset of buckling, but also affect the buckling modes. When Poisson's ratio of the substrate is close to -1, the surface instabilities of the thin film can be suppressed and delayed to large deformation. The present study demonstrates a new way to control surface instabilities of a bilayered system by changing Poisson's ratio of the material.