Irreversible growth of a spherical cavity in rubber-like material: A fracture mechanics description

A fracture mechanics analysis is performed to get a criterion for irreversible growth of cavities in rubber-like materials. The limit of reversible growth of a hole is calculated using the Griffith fracture criterion for a hyperelastic incompressible material (neo-Hookean behavior law) submitted to a hydrostatic tension under the assumptions of large deformations. It leads to an expression of the energy released rate G for the crack-like hole. This expression is shown to be different from results obtained by other authors. The reversible deformation of the cavity under finite triaxiality is also examined by considering a particular field of kinematically admissible displacements. The so obtained approached solution is used to extend the expression of the energy released rate G to various triaxial tension loadings.