  A stress-affected chemical reaction front propagation is considered utilizing
the concept of a chemical affinity tensor. A reaction between an elastic solid
and diffusing constituents, localized at the reaction front, is considered. As
a result of the reaction, the elastic constituent transforms into viscoelastic
one. The reaction is accompanied by volume expansion that in turn may result in
stresses at the reaction front which affect the front velocity through the
normal component of the chemical affinity tensor. Considering a plane strain
problem with a planar chemical reaction front propagation under uniaxial
deformation, we focus on the studies of the reaction front kinetics in
dependence on external strains and material parameters with the use of the
notion of the equilibrium concentration. Then stress relaxation behind the
propagating reaction front is modelled. A standard linear solid model is used
for the reaction product, and its particular cases are also considered.
Analytical solutions are obtained which allow to study in explicit form the
influence of strains and material parameters on the front retardation or
acceleration and stress relaxation.
