The stability of anisotropic electroactive polymers is investigated. A general criterion for the onset of instabilities under plane-strain conditions is introduced in terms of a sextic polynomial whose coefficients depend on the instantaneous electroelastic moduli. In a way of an example, the stable domains of layered neo-Hookean dielectrics are determined. It is found that depending on the direction of the electrostatic excitation field relative to the lamination direction, the critical stretch ratios at which instabilities may occur can be either larger or smaller than the ones for the purely mechanical case.

DOI: 10.1007/s00033-011-0136-1

The latest issue of the WW-EAP Newsletter is now available. I’m pleased that the issue includes my submission on a recently completed review on the Theory of Dielectric Elastomers. As usual, the Newsletter contains lots of extremely valuable information, such as new books in the field, and new products.

The Newsletter has been edited by Dr. Yoseph Bar-Cohen. Past issues of the WW-EAP Newsletter are archived online.

A PhD position is available at the Division of Solid Mechanics at Lund University, Sweden - www.solid.lth.se (deadline for application is September 25, www.lth.se/omlth/ledigatjanster - PA 2009/3025).The project deals with the computational modelling of electroactive polymers and aims at further developing physically sound constitutive models together with efficient Finite-Element-based algorithms. Applicants should have a university degree in engineering or mathematics, physics, materials science. A good knowledge in continuum mechanics, FEM, programming, and communication skills in English are required.

Lund University was founded in 1666. Today it is an international centre for research and education that has approximately 38000 students. Lund University is respected as one of the best universities in Sweden and located in the city of Lund, which is in southern Sweden
close to Denmark and northern Germany (www.lu.se, www.lth.se, www.lund.se).

For further information, please contact

Prof. Andreas Menzel
Division of Solid Mechanics
Lund University, Sweden
fon: +46 46 222 7988
andreas.menzel "at" solid.lth.se

Prof. Matti Ristinmaa
Division of Solid Mechanics
Lund University, Sweden
fon: +46 46 222 7987
matti.ristinmaa "at" solid.lth.se

Prof. Andreas Menzel
Institute of Mechanics
TU Dortmund, Germany
fon: +49 231 755 5744
andreas.menzel "at" udo.edu