Abstract
Two semi-infinite bodies made of prestressed, homogeneous, Bell-constrained, hyperelastic materials are perfectly bonded along a plane interface. The half-space have been subjected to finite pure homogeneous predeformations, with distinct stretch ratios but common principal axes, and such that the interface is a common principal plane of strain. Constant loads are applied at infinity to maintain the deformations and the influence of these loads on the propagation of small-amplitude interface (Stoneley) waves is examined. In particular, the secular equation is found and necessary and sufficient conditions to be satisfied by the stretch ratios to ensure the existence of such waves are given. As the loads vary, the Stoneley wave speed varies accordingly: the upper bound is the “limiting speed” (given explicitly), beyond which the wave amplitude cannot decay away from the interface; the lower bound is zero, where the interface might become unstable. The treatment parallels the one followed for the incompressible case and the differences due to the Bell constraint are highlighted. Finally, the analysis is specialized to specific strain energy densities and to the case where the bimaterial is uniformly deforemd (that is when the stretch ratios for the upper half-space are equal to those for the lower half-space.) Numerical results are given for “simple hyperelastic Bell” materials and for “Bells” empirical model” materials, and compared to the results for neo-Hookean incompressible materials.