Delamination growth of a sandwich layer by diffusion of a corrosive species

The progressive delamination of a sandwich layer is analysed by assuming that delamination is driven by Fickian diffusion of a corrosive species. One side face of the layer is exposed to a constant concentration of corrodent and the corrodent diffuses along both the sandwich layer and the delamination. The corrodent is consumed ahead of the delamination tip by a first-order chemical reaction on the interface; when a critical amount of corrodent has reacted, the delamination front advances, thereby setting the delamination growth criterion. Numerical solutions are obtained for growth of the delamination as a function of time over the full range of geometric and material parameters. Analytic solutions are obtained for asymptotic regimes of behaviour, with an emphasis on the case of slow growth subsequent to an initiation period.