Surface mechanics implications for a nanovoided metallic thin-plate under uniform boundary loading

The goal of this work is to shed some light on the problem of stress concentrations near nanoscale pores (nanovoids) in metallic thin-plates subjected to mechanical load. The limitations of classical elasticity at the nanoscale can be mitigated by the incorporation of a coherent surface model. The disturbance of the elastic field due to a nanovoid in an elastic thin-plate can be determined using a three-dimensional displacement formulation. Numerical results suggest that the surface energy and corresponding surface stress of the nanovoid significantly alter the local stress distribution and the relevant stress concentrations. The magnitude of this effect depends on parameters like the void size, film thickness, applied load, and material properties of the thin-plate and the void surface. The results of the study suggest that nanoporous thin-plates could be optimized for lower stress concentrations and might be less vulnerable to fracture, at least when subjected to uniaxial tensile loads.