Compression vs. Tension-Induced Wrinkle Formation on Thin Film Structures: Three-Dimensional Numerical Simulations

Md Al Rifat Anan¹, Donghyeon Ryu², Yu-Lin Shen^1,*
1 Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
2 Department of Mechanical Engineering, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, NM, USA
* Corresponding Author: Yu-Lin Shen. Email: email
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Advances in Numerical Modeling of Composite Structures and Repairs)

Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences https://doi.org/10.32604/cmes.2026.080371

Received 08 February 2026; Accepted 08 April 2026; Published online 28 April 2026

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Abstract

The development of surface wrinkles on thin films bonded to compliant substrates is recognized as a form of mechanical instability. While this wrinkling behavior is widely studied when the thin film is under direct compression, much less attention has been devoted to the prediction of wrinkle formation caused by tension and cyclic compression-tension deformations. This work focuses on compression vs. tension-induced wrinkles using a relatively stiff polymeric film on an elastomeric substrate as the model system. Experimental observations show that parallel wrinkles formed during unidirectional compression gradually disappear under reverse loading. When the thin film structure is pulled into tension, a new set of parallel wrinkles in the perpendicular direction would develop. The tension-induced wrinkles are caused by Poisson’s ratio mismatch between the film and substrate, which generates lateral compression in the film. By way of the embedded imperfection technique in three-dimensional (3D) finite element modeling, we illustrate that this type of wrinkle transition can be simulated in a seamless manner. With the linear elastic assumption, the overall load-displacement response and evolution of wrinkles are shown to be reversible. The tension-after-compression and direct tension loading conditions lead to exactly the same material response, including the deformation instability. Further analyses on the effects of film modulus and Poisson’s ratio are performed, with the differences in wrinkling behavior under compressive and tensile loading contrasted.