Stretch-induced wrinkles in reinforced membranes: From out-of-plane to in-plane structures

A. Takei^1a, F. Brau², B. Roman¹ and J. Bico¹

¹ Physique et Mécanique des Milieux Hétérogènes, CNRS UMR 7636, UPMC and University Paris Diderot, ESPCI-ParisTech - 10 rue Vauquelin, F-75231 Paris Cedex 05, France, EU
² Laboratoire Interfaces and Fluides Complexes, CIRMAP, Université de Mons - 20 Place du Parc, B-7000 Mons, Belgium, EU

^a atsushi.takei@espci.fr

Received: 7 September 2011
Accepted: 26 October 2011

Abstract

We study, through model experiments, the buckling under tension of an elastic membrane reinforced with a more rigid strip or fiber. In these systems, the compression of the rigid layer is induced through Poisson contraction as the membrane is stretched perpendicularly to the strip. Although strips always lead to out-of-plane wrinkles, we observe a transition from out-of-plane to in-plane wrinkles beyond a critical strain in the case of fibers embedded into elastic membranes. We describe through scaling laws the evolution of the morphology of the wrinkles and the different transitions as a function of material properties and stretching strain.