Large elastic deformations of isotropic materials IV. further developments of the general theory

Abstract The equations of motion, boundary conditions and stress-strain relations for a highly elastic material can be expressed in terms of the stored-energy function. This has been done in part I of this series (Rivlin 1948 a), for both the cases of compressible and incompressible materials, following the methods given by E. & F. Cosserat for compressible materials. The stored-energy function may be defined for a particular material in terms of the invariants of strain. The form in which the equations of motion, etc., are deduced, in the previous paper, does not permit the evaluation of the forces necessary to produce a specified deformation unless the actual expression for the stored-energy function in terms of the scalar invariants of the strain is introduced. In the present paper, the equations are transformed into forms more suitable for carrying out such an explicit evaluation. As examples, the surface forces necessary to produce simple shear in a cuboid of either compressible or incompressible material and those required to produce simple torsion in a right-circular cylinder of incompressible material are derived.