Micromechanics of particle-reinforced elasto-viscoplastic composites: Finite element simulations versus affine homogenization

The micromechanics of elasto-viscoplastic composites made up of a random and homogeneous dispersion of spherical inclusions in a continuous matrix was studied with two methods. The first one is an affine homogenization approach, which transforms the local constitutive laws into fictitious linear thermo-elastic relations in the Laplace–Carson domain so that corresponding homogenization schemes can apply, and the temporal response is computed after a numerical inversion of Laplace transform. The second method is the direct numerical simulation by finite elements of a three-dimensional representative volume element of the composite microstructure. The numerical simulations carried out over different realizations of the composite microstructure showed very little scatter and thus provided – for the first time – “exact” results in the elasto-viscoplastic regime that can be used as benchmarks to check the accuracy of other models. Overall, the predictions of the affine homogenization model were excellent, regardless of the volume fraction of spheres, of the loading paths (shear, uniaxial tension and biaxial tension as well as monotonic and cyclic deformation), particularly at low strain rates. It was found, however, that the accuracy decreased systematically as the strain rate increased. The detailed information of the stress and strain microfields given by the finite element simulations was used to analyze the source of this difference, so that better homogenization methods can be developed.     

Modelling of the elasto-viscoplastic damage behaviour of glassy polymers

Constitutive equations are proposed in order to describe the elasto-viscoplastic damage behaviour of polymers. The behaviour is well accounted for by a modified Bodner–Partom model comprising hydrostatic and void evolution terms. The true stress–strain and volumetric strain behaviour of typical rubber-toughened glassy polymers (RTPMMA and HIPS) were experimentally determined at constant local true strain rate by using a video-controlled technique. Successful agreement is obtained between experimental results and the proposed model.     

On the effective behavior of nonlinear inelastic composites: II: A second-order procedure

A new method for determining the overall behavior of composite materials comprising nonlinear viscoelastic and elasto-viscoplastic constituents is presented. Part I of this work showed that upon use of an implicit time-discretization scheme, the evolution equations describing the constitutive behavior of the phases can be reduced to the minimization of an incremental energy function. This minimization problem is rigorously equivalent to a nonlinear thermoelastic problem with a transformation strain which is a nonuniform field (not even uniform within the phases). In part I of this paper the nonlinearity was handled using a variational (or secant) technique. In this second part of the study, a proper modification of the second-order procedure of Ponte Castañeda is proposed and leads to replacing, at each time-step, the actual nonlinear viscoelastic composite by a linear viscoelastic one. The linearized problem is even further simplified by using an “effective internal variable” in each individual phase. The resulting predictions are in good agreement with exact results and improve on the predictions of the secant model proposed in part I of this paper.     

New flow rules in elasto-viscoplastic constitutive models for spheroidal graphite cast-iron

A specific flow rules and the corresponding constitutive elasto-viscoplastic model combined with new experimental strategy are introduced in order to represent a spheroidal graphite cast-iron behaviour on a wide range of strain, strain rate and temperature. A “full model” is first proposed to correctly reproduce the alloy behaviour even for very small strain levels. A “light model” with a bit poorer experimental agreement but a simpler formulation is also proposed. These macroscopic models, whose equations are based on physical phenomena observed at the dislocation scale, are able to cope with the various load conditions tested – progressive straining and cyclic hardening tests – and to correctly describe anisothermal evolution. The accuracy of these two models and the experimental databases to which they are linked is estimated on different types of experimental tests and compared with the accuracy of more standard Chaboche-type constitutive models. Each test leads to the superiority of the “full model”, particularly for slow strain rates regimes. After developing a material user subroutine, FEM simulations are performed on Abaqus for a car engine exhaust manifold and confirm the good results obtained from the experimental basis. We obtain more accurate results than those given by more traditional laws. A very good correlation is observed between the simulations and the engine bench tests.     

Modelling mechanical property recovery of a linepipe steel in annealing process

In this paper a set of mechanism-based unified viscoplastic constitutive equations has been used to model the effect of microstructural evolution on mechanical property recovery in the annealing process of a cold formed linepipe steel. Dislocation density and plasticity-induced damage accumulation during deformation, and recovery and recrystallisation of the deformed material during subsequent annealing have been modelled. The effects of annealing time on microstructural evolution also have been investigated. Tensile tests were performed on the low carbon ferritic linepipe steel before and after annealing at 700 °C with different holding times. The experimental results have been used to characterise the unified constitutive equations, using an Evolutionary Programming (EP)-based optimisation method. Using these equations, the stress–strain relationships for the interrupted constant strain rate tensile tests were predicted and close agreement between the computed and experimental results was obtained, for various annealing times and for the materials with different amounts of pre-deformation.     

On thermodynamic potentials in thermoelasticity under small strain and finite thermal perturbation assumptions

Expressions for thermodynamic potentials (internal energy, Helmholtz energy, Gibbs energy and enthalpy) of a thermoelastic material are developed under the assumption of small strains and finite changes in the thermal variable (temperature or entropy). The literature provides expressions for the Helmholtz energy in terms of strain and temperature, most often as expansions to the second order in strain and to a higher order in temperature changes, which ensures an affine stress–strain relation and a certain temperature dependence of the moduli of the material. Expressions are here developed for the four potentials in terms of all four possible pairs of independent variables. First, an expression is obtained for each potential as a quadratic function of its natural mechanical variable with coefficients depending on its natural thermal variable that are identified in terms of the moduli of the material. The form of the coefficients’ dependence on the thermal variable is not specified beforehand so as to obtain the most general expressions compatible with an affine stress–strain relation. Then, from each potential expressed in terms of its natural variables, expressions are derived for the other three potentials in terms of these same variables using the Gibbs–Helmholtz equations. The paper provides a thermodynamic framework for the constitutive modeling of thermoelastic materials undergoing small strains but finite changes in the thermal variables, the properties of which are liable to depend on the thermal variables.     

考虑损伤的弹—粘塑性本构方程

采用Ｐｅｒｚｙｎａ过应力本构框架，引入塑性损伤在饱和强化率相关介质中的动态演化规律，建立了考虑损伤的弹－粘塑性本构方程，修正了Ｅｆｔｉｓ等人将Ｐｅｒｚｙｎａ方程推广时采用不一致的基体强化模式推演损伤演化方程和本构关系这一矛盾。详细计算了黄铜的初始屈服强度及率相关屈了面，给出了动态单轴拉伸数值结果并与实验进行了比较，结果符合很好。     

Micromechanical modeling of the elasto-viscoplastic behavior of semi-crystalline polymers

A micromechanically based constitutive model for the elasto-viscoplastic deformation and texture evolution of semi-crystalline polymers is developed. The model idealizes the microstructure to consist of an aggregate of two-phase layered composite inclusions. A new framework for the composite inclusion model is formulated to facilitate the use of finite deformation elasto-viscoplastic constitutive models for each constituent phase. The crystalline lamellae are modeled as anisotropic elastic with plastic flow occurring via crystallographic slip. The amorphous phase is modeled as isotropic elastic with plastic flow being a rate-dependent process with strain hardening resulting from molecular orientation. The volume-averaged deformation and stress within the inclusions are related to the macroscopic fields by a hybrid interaction model. The uniaxial compression of initially isotropic high density polyethylene (HDPE) is taken as a case study. The ability of the model to capture the elasto-plastic stress-strain behavior of HDPE during monotonic and cyclic loading, the evolution of anisotropy, and the effect of crystallinity on initial modulus, yield stress, post-yield behavior and unloading-reloading cycles are presented.     

High-order time integration applied to metal powder plasticity

The present article treats two objectives. In the first investigation attention is focused on the application of time-adaptive finite elements formulated on the basis of a high-order time integration procedure on a constitutive model for compressible finite strain viscoplasticity for metal powder. In this connection, it has to be emphasized that the integration procedure is not only applied to the evolution equations on Gauss-point level but on the total system of differential–algebraic equations resulting from the application of the vertical line method on the quasi-static finite element equations. The specific application emerges from the field of metal powder compaction. Particular studies are carried out using stiffly accurate, diagonally implicit Runge–Kutta methods in combination with the Multilevel-Newton algorithm for solving the DAE-system. In this respect, the effort vs. accuracy behavior is investigated which is also related to order reduction known in elastoplasticity. The second topic treats the local stress algorithm for taking into account the yield function based finite strain viscoplasticity model, where the classical Newton–Raphson method fails. This is the reason why most constitutive models of powder materials are implemented into explicit finite element codes. Thus, the proposed investigations compare different methods in view of a stable and efficient integration process in implicit finite element formulations.     

Modelling and experimental characterisation of the Lüders strain in complex loaded ferritic steel compact tension specimens

The use of 3D digital image correlation (DIC) has been used to capture the Lüders strains in a low carbon ferritic steel. Results were used to calibrate and compare with finite element (FE) results based on a constitutive plasticity model, capable of yield drop behaviour and therefore Lüders strains, by Zhang et al. (2001). Tensile tests were carried out at several strain rates to characterise the material behaviour. The results of these tests were used to fit parameters in the constitutive plasticity model. The FE model was then tested on a complex loading situation of in-plane compression of a compact tension (CT) specimen. The FE model predicts the shape and formation of the Lüders bands well. This FE model, using Zhang’s constitutive plasticity model, was used to predict the residual stress profile to compare with standard elastic–plastic isotropic hardening models with no yield point. The yield point reduced both the predicted peak tensile stress, at the notch root, and the amount of plastic strain. In regions where the plastic strain was of a similar size to the Lüders strain the stress profiles were perturbed from flat profiles predicted by the standard elastic–plastic hardening models.     

Comparison of the work-hardening of metallic sheets using tensile and shear strain paths

This work deals with the characterization of the kinematic work-hardening of a bake-hardening steel. A shear test device has been designed and its use for the characterization of the work-hardening of sheet metals is described. Two main results are presented. Firstly, a local strain measurement, based on the following of three dots drawn on the gauge area, gives the evolution of the strain tensor eigenvalues during the test. It is shown, by comparing the theoretical kinematics of simple shear with a slightly perturbated one, that the strain state is close to the ideal one in the center of the gauge area. Secondly, reversal of the shear direction is performed after several prestrain and the evolution of the kinematic work-hardening with the equivalent plastic strain has been identified using an anisotropic elasto-viscoplastic model of Hill 1948 type. Isotropic and kinematic contributions of the work-hardening are also calculated from loading–unloading tensile tests and are compared to those obtained from the simple shear tests. The results show a discrepancy between both identification for the isotropic and the kinematic hardening. However, they are in agreement concerning the evolution of the global work-hardening.     

A note on incremental equations for a new class of constitutive relations for elastic bodies

Some new classes of constitutive relations for elastic bodies have been proposed in the literature, wherein the stresses and strains are obtained from implicit constitutive relations. A special case of the above relations corresponds to a class of constitutive equations where the linearized strain tensor is given as a nonlinear function of the stresses. For such constitutive equations we consider the problem of decomposing the stresses into two parts: one corresponds to a time-independent solution of the boundary value problem, plus a small (in comparison with the above) time-dependent stress tensor. The effect of this initial time-independent stress in the propagation of a small wave motion is studied for an infinite medium.     

Internal-state-variable based self-consistent constitutive modeling for hot working of two-phase titanium alloys coupling microstructure evolution

An internal-state-variable based self-consistent constitutive model was proposed for unified prediction of flow stress and microstructure evolution during hot working of wrought two-phase titanium alloys in both single-beta region and two-phase region. For each constituent phase of titanium alloys, a set of constitutive equations incorporating solution strengthening, Hall–Petch effect, dislocation interaction, and dynamic recrystallization were developed using internal state variable method. The effect of second phase on recystallization was modeled by considering particle stimulated nucleation and exerting drag force on boundary migration. The constitutive equations of constituent phases were implemented into a viscoplastic self-consistent scheme to predict the overall response of the aggregate. Predictions of the model are in good agreement with experimental results of the Ti–6Al–4V alloy and IMI834 alloy. The model can reproduce many features of the hot working of two-phase titanium alloys, including the dependence of flow stress on temperature, strain rate and alloying elements; the increase of strain rate sensitivity with temperature; the stress and strain partitionings between alpha and beta phases; the relatively high apparent activation energy in two-phase region, the decrease of recrystallization kinetics with temperature in two-phase region; and the decrease of recrystallized grain size with Zener–Hollomon parameter in beta working.     

A dynamic theory for magnetizable elastic solids with thermal and electrical conduction

A general dynamical theory of magnetizable, electrically and thermally conducting media is developed for soft ferromagnetic or paramagnetic materials in external electromagnetic fields. The general equations are linearized by assuming infinitesimal strains, linear constitutive equations and that all field variables may be divided into two parts: a "rigid body state" and a "perturbation state". The former is the same as the one in rigid body electrodynamics, and the latter which accounts for electromagnetic interaction with the deformable continuum is coupled with stress and strain through linearized field equations. The theory is developed for general anisotropy but specialized for materials with uniaxial, or higher, symmetry.     

An enhanced affine formulation and the corresponding numerical algorithms for the mean-field homogenization of elasto-viscoplastic composites

This paper deals with the prediction of the overall behavior of a class of two-phase elasto-viscoplastic composites, based on mean-field homogenization. For this, important improvements are made to the recently-proposed affine formulation. The latter theory linearizes the rate-dependent inelastic constitutive equations of each phase’s material and transforms them into fictitious linear thermo-elastic relations in the Laplace–Carson domain. The main contributions of the present work are threefold. Firstly, complete mathematical developments including a full treatment of internal variables are carried out, enabling the modeling of the response under unloading and cyclic histories. Secondly, robust and accurate computational algorithms are proposed. Thirdly, an extensive validation of the predictions against reference unit cell finite element results is conducted for a variety of materials and loadings. A good agreement between predictions and reference results is observed.     

Derivation of strain measures from strand convection models for polymer melts

Constitutive equations for polymer melts often fail to describe realistically experimental data because they do not describe adequately the melt's elastic behaviour; i.e., the instantaneous response of the melt to the imposed deformation. Elastic behaviour is represented in differential constitutive equations by the convected time derivative and in BKZ integral models by the elastic potential function or strain measure. Here we propose a general molecular model to describe strand convection; that is, the instantaneous response of a polymer strand to an imposed deformation. The model includes the affine, Gordon-Schowalter, and apparently the Seth models as special cases. It is found that by requiring the convection to be such that the principal axes of stress and of strain rotate together, the strain measure becomes a function of strain history, and the Lodge-Meissner relationship is satisfied, in accord with experimental observations.     

An implicit algorithm for hypoelasto-plastic and hypoelasto-viscoplastic endochronic theory in finite strain isotropic–kinematic-hardening model

This paper is concerned with objective stress update algorithm for elasto-plastic and elasto-viscoplastic endochronic theory within the framework of additive plasticity. The elastic response is stated in terms of hypoelastic model and endochronic constitutive equations are stated in unrotated frame of reference. A trivially incrementally objective integration scheme for rate constitutive equations is established. Algorithmic modulus consistent with numerical integration algorithm of constitutive equations is extracted. The implementation is validated by means of a set of simple deformation paths (simple shear, extension and rotation), two benchmark test in nonlinear mechanics (the necking of a circular bar and expansion of a thick-walled cylinder), a test which demonstrates the capabilities of the proposed model in simulation of cyclic loading and ratcheting in finite strain case (cyclically loaded notched bar) and finally, the analysis of a tensile test, which presents a shear band with a finite thickness independent of the finite element mesh using endochronic viscoplastic constitutive model.     

A micromechanics approach to homogenizing elasto-viscoplastic heterogeneous materials

The variational asymptotic method for unit cell homogenization (VAMUCH) has emerged as a general-purpose micromechanics code capable of predicting the effective properties of heterogeneous materials and recovering the local fields. The objective of this paper is to propose a micromechanics approach enabling VAMUCH to homogenize elasto-viscoplastic heterogeneous materials. An affine formulation of the constitutive relations for an elasto-viscoplastic constituent, which exhibits viscoplastic anisotropy and combined isotropic–kinematic hardening, is derived. The weak form of the problem is derived using an asymptotic method, discretized using finite elements, and implemented into VAMUCH. The new features of VAMUCH are validated with examples such as homogenizing binary, fiber-reinforced, and particle-reinforced composites. VAMUCH is found to be capable of handling various microstructure, complex material models, complex loading conditions, and complex loading paths. More sophisticated material models can be implemented into it.     

A finite-deformation constitutive model for bulk metallic glass composites

The focus of this study is the development of an elastic-viscoplastic, three-dimensional, finite-deformation constitutive model to describe the large deformation behavior of bulk metallic glass (BMG) composite. A macroscopic theoretical formulation is proposed based on thermodynamic considerations to describe the response at ambient temperature and pressure, as well as at different strain rates. A constitutive equation is derived using the principle of thermodynamics and the augmenting of free energy. This is done by assuming that deformation within the constituent phases of the composite is affine; kinetic equations defining plastic shear and evolution of free volume concentration are then derived. The constitutive model is subsequently implemented in a finite-element program (Abaqus/Explicit) via a user-defined material subroutine. Numerical predictions are compared with experimental results from tests on La-based in situ BMG composite (La–Al–Cu–Ni) specimens cast in-house; this demonstrates that the model is able to describe the material behavior observed.     

Flow of elasto-viscoplastic liquids through a planar expansion–contraction

The steady flow of incompressible elasto-viscoplastic liquids through a planar expansion–contraction is investigated. A novel constitutive model is employed to describe the mechanical behavior of the flowing liquids. Numerical solutions of the constitutive and conservation equations were obtained via a finite element method to investigate the role of elasticity, yield stress, and inertia. The fields of velocity, stress, elastic strain, and rate of strain were obtained for different combinations of the governing parameters. It was observed that these fields, as well as the shape and position of the yield surface, are all strong functions of elasticity, yield stress, and inertia. The trends observed agree well with previous numerical and visualization results available in the literature. The present work offers a detailed study on the effects of elasticity, presenting, in particular, the fields of elastic strain.