THE ELASTIC STRAIN-ENERGY OF A COHERENT INCLUSION WITH DEVIATORIC MISFIT STRAINS

The elastic strain energy of a misfitted coherent inclusion is discuss ed using the Eshelby method for ellipsoidal inclusions. Deviatoric and tetragonal misfit strains in an elastically inhomogeneous spheroidal inclusion are particularly considered. The variation of the elastic st rain energy is evaluated as a function of the shape and orientation of the inclusion. Results obtained are compared with these for a coheren t inclusion with purely dilatational misfit strains. Under certain dev iatoric misfit strains and elastic moduli of the inclusion, the least elastic strain energy is achieved by a spheroid with an intermediate s hape between a plate and a sphere or between a sphere and a needle.