Formation of creases on the surfaces of elastomers and gels

When a block of an elastomer is bent, the compressed surface may form a crease. The critical strain for creasing measured experimentally is known to disagree with that predicted by linear perturbation analysis. This paper calculates the critical strain by comparing the elastic energy in a creased body and that in a smooth body. This difference in energy is expressed by a scaling relation. Critical conditions for creasing are determined for elastomers subject to general loads and gels swelling under constraint. The theoretical results are compared with existing experimental observations. (C) 2009 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3211917]