Nonlinear analysis of stability for functionally graded plates under mechanical and thermal loads

This paper presents a simple analytical approach to investigate the stability of functionally graded plates under in-plane compressive, thermal and combined loads. Material properties are assumed to be temperature-independent, and graded in the thickness direction according to a simple power law distribution in terms of the volume fractions of constituents. Equilibrium and compatibility equations for functionally graded plates are derived by using the classical plate theory taking into account both geometrical nonlinearity in von Karman sense and initial geometrical imperfection. The resulting equations are solved by Galerkin procedure to obtain explicit expressions of postbuckling load–deflection curves. Stability analysis of a simply supported rectangular functionally graded plate shows the effects of the volume fraction index, plate geometry, in-plane boundary conditions, and imperfection on postbuckling behavior of the plate.