Delamination of compressed thin layers at corners

An analysis of delamination for a thin elastic layer under compression, attached to a substrate at a corner is carried out. The analysis is performed by combining results from interface fracture mechanics and the theory of thin shells. In contrast with earlier results for delamination on a flat substrate, the present problem is not a bifurcation problem. Crack closure at sufficiently high stress levels are shown to occur. Results show a very strong dependency on fracture mechanical parameters of the angle of the corner including the range of parameters where crack closure occurs. Analytical results for the fracture mechanical properties have been obtained, and these are applied in a study of the effect of contacting crack faces. Special attention has been given to analyse conditions under which steady state propagation of buckling driven delamination takes place.