Static and dynamic stabilities of modified gradient elastic Kirchhoff–Love plates

The static and dynamic stabilities of modified gradient elastic Kirchhoff–Love plates (MGEKLPs), which incorporate two length-scale parameters related to strain gradient and rotation gradient effects, are comprehensively analyzed under various load forms and boundary conditions (BCs). The study of static stability employs static balance method and an improved energy method by introducing higher-order deformation gradients and corresponding energy terms. Utilizing the variational method, a sixth-order fundamental buckling differential equation for MGEKLPs under both transverse and in-plane loads is derived, serving as the foundation for the static balance method. The static stability analysis of MGEKLPs examines the combined effects of strain and rotation gradients on size-dependent critical buckling loads. Building on generalized strain energy with higher-order deformation energy, the energy method of classical elastic thin plate model is enhanced and applied to the static stability analysis of MGEKLPs. This approach enables the investigation of static stability without being constrained by the need to solve complex differential equations, making it applicable to various BCs and load scenarios. While static stability provides a description of stable state of an elastic system, dynamic stability offers a more scientific and rigorous analysis. The dynamic stability of simplified gradient elastic Kirchhoff–Love plates (SGEKLPs) with curved edges and different BCs is further investigated by combining the generalized strain energy with Lyapunov’s second stability method, presenting the dynamic stability criterion in the form of norms. A strict description of the dynamic stability of a SGEKLP over the entire time domain is provided for different supporting conditions, including case where all edges are supported and case with free edges. The analysis of size-dependent static and dynamic stabilities offers theoretical guidance for designing elastic thin plates with microstructures.