Thermal buckling analysis of a new type of rectangular FG sandwich plates using a new higher-order shear deformation theory

This article presents a novel higher-order shear deformation Theory to investigate the thermal buckling behavior of a new type of functionally graded material (FGM) sandwich structure. The study focuses on a specific configuration of rectangular FGM sandwich plate, consisting of FGM face layers and FGM core layer subjected to temperature gradients varying linearly and non-linearly across the thickness. By employing the principle of virtual work, the governing equations are derived, involving only four unknown functions. The Navier procedure is then utilized to obtain closed-form solutions. In this study, the material properties and thermal expansion coefficient of the two face layers of the sandwich plate are assumed to vary in the thickness direction according to a simple power-law distribution. In contrast, the core layer is assumed to have an exponential variation along the thickness direction. The critical thermal buckling is influenced by various factors, including the thickness, and aspect ratios of the sandwich plate, the gradient index, the type of loading, and the type of sandwich plate. The effects of these variables on the critical buckling temperature are thoroughly examined and analyzed.