Thermal buckling of AL/AL2O3 functionally graded plates based on first order theory.

Thermal buckling analysis of rectangular sigmoid functionally graded plates (S-FGPs) is investigated using first-order shear deformation theory. The sigmoid functionally graded material (S-FGM) system consists of ceramic (Al2O3) and metal (Al) phases varying through the thickness of plate according to a two power-law distribution. Material properties and thermal expansion coefficient of the plate are assumed to be graded in the thickness direction according to a simple power-law distribution in terms of the volume fractions of the constituents. The thermal loads are assumed to be uniform and sinusoidal distribution through-the-thickness. Numerical examples cover the effects of the gradient index, plate aspect ratio, side-to-thickness ratio and loading type on the critical buckling for S-FGM plates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]