Localized Deformation in Plastic Liquids on Elastomers

Abstract

A plastic liquid such as toothpaste and butter deforms like an elastic solid under a small stress and like a plastic solid under a large stress. Recently, plastic liquids have been used as compliant electrodes for elastomeric transducers. Here, we study the deformation of a plastic liquid adherent on an elastomer when the elastomer is stretched monotonically. We observe that deformation in the plastic liquid localized into shear bands and necks. We further observe that the plastic liquid slips near the interface between the plastic liquid and the elastomer. Each pulling edge of the plastic liquid develops a shear tail, a thin layer of the plastic liquid adherent to the elastomer. As the elastomer is stretched, the tail conforms to the deformation of the elastomer, and the plastic liquid above the tail slips. Finite element simulations confirm that localization occurs even for a relatively simple elastic–plastic model, but require a boundary condition that allows the near-interface slip.