Relaxation mechanisms in the unfolding of thin sheets

When a thin sheet is crumpled, creases form in which plastic deformations are localized. Here we study experimentally the relaxation process of a single fold in a thin sheet subjected to an external strain. The unfolding process is described by a quick opening at first, and then a progressive slow relaxation of the crease. In the latter regime, the necessary force needed to open the folded sheet at a given displacement is found to decrease logarithmically in time, allowing its description through an Arrhenius activation process. We accurately determine the parameters of this law and show its general character by performing experiments on both Mylar and paper sheets.