A thermodynamic based higher-order gradient theory for size dependent plasticity

A physically motivated and thermodynamically consistent formulation of small strain higher-order gradient plasticity theory is presented. Based on dislocation mechanics interpretations, gradients of variables associated with kinematic and isotropic hardenings are introduced. This framework is a two non-local parameter framework that takes into consideration large variations in the plastic strain tensor and large variations in the plasticity history variable; the equivalent (effective) plastic strain. The presence of plastic strain gradients is motivated by the evolution of dislocation density tensor that results from non-vanishing net Burgers vector and, hence, incorporating additional kinematic hardening (anisotropy) effects through lattice incompatibility. The presence of gradients in the effective (scalar) plastic strain is motivated by the accumulation of geometrically necessary dislocations and, hence, incorporating additional isotropic hardening effects (i.e. strengthening). It is demonstrated that the non-local yield condition, flow rule, and non-zero microscopic boundary conditions can be derived directly from the principle of virtual power. It is also shown that the local Clausius–Duhem inequality does not hold for gradient-dependent material and, therefore, a non-local form should be adopted. The non-local Clausius–Duhem inequality has an additional term that results from microstructural long-range energy interchanges between the material points within the body. A detailed discussion on the physics and the application of proper microscopic boundary conditions, either on free surfaces, clamped surfaces, or intermediate constrained surfaces, is presented. It is shown that there is a close connection between interface/surface energy of an interface or free surface and the microscopic boundary conditions in terms of microtraction stresses. Some generalities and utility of this theory are discussed and comparisons with other gradient theories are given. Applications of the proposed theory for size effects in thin films are presented.     

Plastic deformation modelling of tempered martensite steel block structure by a nonlocal crystal plasticity model

The plastic deformations of tempered martensite steel representative volume elements with different martensite block structures have been investigated by using a nonlocal crystal plasticity model which considers isotropic and kinematic hardening produced by plastic strain gradients. It was found that pronounced strain gradients occur in the grain boundary region even under homogeneous loading. The isotropic hardening of strain gradients strongly influences the global stress–strain diagram while the kinematic hardening of strain gradients influences the local deformation behaviour. It is found that the additional strain gradient hardening is not only dependent on the block width but also on the misorientations or the deformation incompatibilities in adjacent blocks.     

Application of corotational rates of the logarithmic strain in constitutive modeling of hardening materials at finite deformations

In this paper a finite deformation constitutive model for rigid plastic hardening materials based on the logarithmic strain tensor is introduced. The flow rule of this constitutive model relates the corotational rate of the logarithmic strain tensor to the difference of the deviatoric Cauchy stress and the back stress tensors. The evolution equation for the kinematic hardening of this model relates the corotational rate of the back stress tensor to the corotational rate of the logarithmic strain tensor. Using Jaumann, Green–Naghdi, Eulerian and logarithmic corotational rates in the proposed constitutive model, stress–strain responses and subsequent yield surfaces are determined for rigid plastic kinematic and isotropic hardening materials in the simple shear problem at finite deformations.     

Strain gradient crystal plasticity effects on flow localization

In metal grains one of the most important failure mechanisms involves shear band localization. As the band width is small, the deformations are affected by material length scales. To study localization in single grains a rate-dependent crystal plasticity formulation for finite strains is presented for metals described by the reformulated Fleck–Hutchinson strain gradient plasticity theory. The theory is implemented numerically within a finite element framework using slip rate increments and displacement increments as state variables. The formulation reduces to the classical crystal plasticity theory in the absence of strain gradients. The model is used to study the effect of an internal material length scale on the localization of plastic flow in shear bands in a single crystal under plane strain tension. It is shown that the mesh sensitivity is removed when using the nonlocal material model considered. Furthermore, it is illustrated how different hardening functions affect the formation of shear bands.     

Nonlocal continuum theory of anisotropically damaged metals

The paper deals with a consistent and systematic general framework for the development of anisotropic continuum damage in ductile metals based on thermodynamic laws and nonlocal theories. The proposed model relies on finite strain kinematics based on the consideration of damaged as well as fictitious undamaged configurations related via metric transformation tensors which allow for the interpretation of damage tensors. The formulation is accomplished by rate-independent plasticity using a nonlocal yield condition of Drucker–Prager type, anisotropic damage based on a nonlocal damage growth criterion as well as non-associated flow and damage rules. The nonlocal theory of inelastic continua is established to be able to take into account long-range microstructural interaction. The approach incorporates macroscopic interstate variables and their higher-order gradients which properly describe the change in the internal structure and investigate the size effect of statistical inhomogeneity of the heterogeneous material. The idea of bridging length-scales is made by using higher-order gradients in the evolution equations of the equivalent inelastic strain measures which leads to a system of elliptic partial differential equations which is solved using the finite difference method at each iteration of the loading step and the displacement-based finite element procedure is governed by the standard principle of virtual work. Numerical simulations of the elastic–plastic deformation behavior of damaged solids demonstrate the efficiency of the formulation. Tension tests undergoing large strains are used to investigate the damage growth in high strength steel. The influence of various model parameters on the prediction of the deformation and localization of ductile metals is discussed.     

Micromorphic continuum. Part II: Finite deformation plasticity coupled with damage

It is demonstrated how a micromorphic plasticity theory may be formulated on the basis of multiplicative decompositions of the macro- and microdeformation gradient tensor, respectively. The theory exhibits non-linear isotropic and non-linear kinematic hardening. The yield function is expressed in terms of Mandel stress and double stress tensors, appropriately defined for micromorphic continua. Flow rules are derived from the postulate of Il’iushin and represent generalized normality conditions. Evolution equations for isotropic and kinematic hardening are introduced as sufficient conditions for the validity of the second law of thermodynamics in every admissible process. Finally, it is sketched how isotropic damage effects may be incorporated in the theory. This is done for the concept of effective stress combined with the hypothesis of strain equivalence.     

A nonlocal strain gradient plasticity theory for finite deformations

Strain gradient plasticity for finite deformations is addressed within the framework of nonlocal continuum thermodynamics, featured by the concepts of (nonlocality) energy residual and globally simple material. The plastic strain gradient is assumed to be physically meaningful in the domain of particle isoclinic configurations (with the director vector triad constant both in space and time), whereas the objective notion of corotational gradient makes it possible to compute the plastic strain gradient in any domain of particle intermediate configurations. A phenomenological elastic–plastic constitutive model is presented, with mixed kinematic/isotropic hardening laws in the form of PDEs and related higher order boundary conditions (including those associated with the moving elastic/plastic boundary). Two fourth-order projection tensor operators, functions of the elastic and plastic strain states, are shown to relate the skew-symmetric parts of the Mandel stress and back stress to the related symmetric parts. Consistent with the thermodynamic restrictions therein derived, the flow laws for rate-independent associative plasticity are formulated in a six-dimensional tensor space in terms of symmetric parts of Mandel stresses and related work-conjugate generalized plastic strain rates. A simple shear problem application is presented for illustrative purposes.     

Incorporation of yield surface distortion in finite deformation constitutive modeling of rigid-plastic hardening materials based on the Hencky logarithmic strain

In this paper a constitutive model for rigid-plastic hardening materials based on the Hencky logarithmic strain tensor and its corotational rates is introduced. The distortional hardening is incorporated in the model using a distortional yield function. The flow rule of this model relates the corotational rate of the logarithmic strain to the difference of the Cauchy stress and the back stress tensors employing deformation-induced anisotropy tensor. Based on the Armstrong–Fredrick evolution equation the kinematic hardening constitutive equation of the proposed model expresses the corotational rate of the back stress tensor in terms of the same corotational rate of the logarithmic strain. Using logarithmic, Green–Naghdi and Jaumann corotational rates in the proposed constitutive model, the Cauchy and back stress tensors as well as subsequent yield surfaces are determined for rigid-plastic kinematic, isotropic and distortional hardening materials in the simple shear deformation. The ability of the model to properly represent the sign and magnitude of the normal stress in the simple shear deformation as well as the flattening of yield surface at the loading point and its orientation towards the loading direction are investigated. It is shown that among the different cases of using corotational rates and plastic deformation parameters in the constitutive equations, the results of the model based on the logarithmic rate and accumulated logarithmic strain are in good agreement with anticipated response of the simple shear deformation.     

Kinematic hardening in large strain plasticity

A finite strain hyper elasto-plastic constitutive model capable to describe non-linear kinematic hardening as well as non-linear isotropic hardening is presented. In addition to the intermediate configuration and in order to model kinematic hardening, an additional configuration is introduced – the center configuration; both configurations are chosen to be isoclinic. The yield condition is formulated in terms of the Mandel stress and a back-stress with a structure similar to the Mandel stress.It is shown that the non-dissipative part of the plastic velocity gradient not governed by the thermodynamical framework and the corresponding quantity associated with the kinematic hardening influence the material behaviour to a large extent when kinematic hardening is present. However, for isotropic elasticity and isotropic hardening plasticity it is shown that the non-dissipative quantities have no influence upon the stress–strain relation.As an example, kinematic hardening von Mises plasticity is considered, which fulfils the plastic incompressibility condition and is independent of the hydrostatic pressure. To evaluate the response and to examine the influence of the non-dissipative quantities, simple shear is considered; no stress oscillations occur.     

Nonlocal and gradient rate plasticity

This paper deals with a formulation of nonlocal and gradient plasticity with internal variables. The constitutive model complies with local internal variables which govern kinematic hardening and isotropic softening and with a nonlocal corrective internal variable defined either as the sum between a new internal variable and its spatial weighted average or as the gradient of a measure of plastic strain. The rate constitutive problem is cast in the framework provided by the convex analysis and the potential theory for monotone multivalued operators which provide the suitable tools to perform a theoretical analysis of such nonlocal and gradient problems. The validity of the maximum dissipation theorem is assessed and constitutive variational formulations of the rate model are provided. The structural rate problem for an assigned load rate is then formulated. The related variational formulation in the complete set of state variable is contributed and the methodology to derive variational formulations, with different combinations of the state variables, is explicitly provided. In particular the generalization to the present nonlocal and gradient model of the principles of Prager–Hodge, Greenberg and Capurso–Maier is presented. Finally nonlocal variational formulations provided in the literature are derived as special cases of the proposed model.     

Anisotropic plasticity for sheet metals using the concept of combined isotropic-kinematic hardening

Hill's 1948 anisotropic theory of plasticity (Hill, R., 1948. A theory of yielding and plastic flow of anisotropic metals. Proc. Roy. Soc. London A193, 281–297) is extended to include the concept of combined isotropic-kinematic hardening, and the objective of this paper is to validate the model so that it may be useful for analyses of sheet metal forming. Isotropic hardening and kinematic hardening may be experimentally observed in sheet metals, if yielding is defined by the proportional limit or by a small proof strain. In this paper, a single exponential term is used to describe isotropic hardening and Prager's linear kinematic hardening rule is applied for simplicity. It is shown that this model can satisfactorily describe both the yield stress and the plastic strain ratio, the R-ratio, observed in tension test of specimens cut at various angles measured from the rolling direction of the sheet. Kinematic hardening leads to a gradual change in the direction of the plastic strain increment, as the axial strain increases in the tension test; while in the traditional approach for sheet metal, this direction does not change due to the use of isotropic hardening.     

A mathematical basis for strain-gradient plasticity theory. Part II: Tensorial plastic multiplier

A phenomenological, flow theory version of gradient plasticity for isotropic and anisotropic solids is constructed along the lines of Gudmundson [Gudmundson, P., 2004. A unified treatment of strain-gradient plasticity. J. Mech. Phys. Solids 52, 1379-1406]. Both energetic and dissipative stresses are considered in order to develop a kinematic hardening theory, which in the absence of gradient terms reduces to conventional J₂ flow theory with kinematic hardening. The dissipative stress measures, work-conjugate to plastic strain and its gradient, satisfy a yield condition with associated plastic flow. The theory includes interfacial terms: elastic energy is stored and plastic work is dissipated at internal interfaces, and a yield surface is postulated for the work-conjugate stress quantities at the interface. Uniqueness and extremum principles are constructed for the solution of boundary value problems, for both the rate-dependent and the rate-independent cases. In the absence of strain gradient and interface effects, the minimum principles reduce to the classical extremum principles for a kinematically hardening elasto-plastic solid. A rigid-hardening version of the theory is also stated and the resulting theory gives rise to an extension to the classical limit load theorems. This has particular appeal as previous trial fields for limit load analysis can be used to generate immediately size-dependent bounds on limit loads.     

On a framework for small-deformation viscoplasticity: free energy,microforces, strain gradients

This study develops a general theory for small-deformation viscoplasticity based on a system of microforces consistent with its own balance; a mechanical version of the second law that includes, via the microforces, work performed during viscoplastic flow; a constitutive theory that allows for dependences on plastic strain-gradients. The microforce balance and the constitutive equations—suitably restricted by the second law—are shown to be together equivalent to a flow rule that accounts for variations in free energy due to flow. When this energy is the sum of an elastic strain energy and a defect energy quadratic, isotropic, and positive definite in the plastic-strain gradients, the flow rule takes the form of a second-order parabolic PDE for the plastic strain coupled to the usual PDE arising from the standard macroscopic force balance and the elastic stress-strain relation. The classical macroscopic boundary conditions are supplemented by nonstandard boundary conditions associated with viscoplastic flow. As an aid to solution, a weak (virtual power) formulation of the nonlocal flow rule is derived.     

Modeling the interfacial effect on the yield strength and flow stress of thin metal films on substrates

It is shown in this paper that interfacial effects have a profound impact on the scale-dependent yield strength and strain hardening rates (flow stress) of metallic thin films on elastic substrates. This is achieved by developing a higher-order strain gradient plasticity theory based on the principle of virtual power and the laws of thermodynamics. This theory enforces microscopic boundary conditions at interfaces which relate a microtraction stress to the interfacial energy at the interface. It is shown that the film bulk length scale controls the size effect if a rigid interface is assumed whereas the interfacial length scale dominates if a compliant interface is assumed.     

准脆性材料的弹塑性各向异性损伤耦合本构模型研究

针对准脆性材料的非线性特征：强度软化和刚度退化、单边效应、侧限强化和拉压软化、不可恢复变形、剪胀及非弹性体胀,在热动力学框架内,建立了准脆性材料的弹塑性与各向异性损伤耦合的本构关系。对准脆性材料的变形机理和损伤诱发的各向异性进行了诠释,并给出了损伤构形和有效构形中各物理量之间的关系。在有效应力空间内,建立了塑性屈服准则、拉压不同的塑性随动强化法则和各向同性强化法则。在损伤构形中,采用应变能释放率,建立了拉压损伤准则、拉压不同的损伤随动强化法则和各向同性强化法则。基于塑性屈服准则和损伤准则,构建了塑性势泛函和损伤势泛函,并由正交性法则,给出了塑性和损伤强化效应内变量的演化规律,同时,联立塑性屈服面和损伤加载面,给出了塑性流动和损伤演化内变量的演化法则。将损伤力学和塑性力学结合起来,建立了应变驱动的应力-应变增量本构关系,给出了本构数值积分的要点。以单轴加载-卸载往复试验识别和校准了本构材料常数,并对单轴单调试验、单轴加载-卸载往复试验、二轴受压、二轴拉压试验和三轴受压试验进行了预测,并与试验结果作了比较,结果表明,所建本构模型对准脆性材料的非线性材料性能有良好的预测能力。     

Framework using functional forms of hardening internal state variables in modeling elasto-plastic-damage behavior

This work gives the thermodynamically consistent theoretical formulations and the numerical implementation of a plasticity model fully coupled with damage. The formulation of the elasto-plastic-damage behavior of materials is introduced here within a framework that uses functional forms of hardening internal state variables in both damage and plasticity. The damage is introduced through a damage mechanics framework and utilizes an anisotropic damage measure to quantify the reduction of the material stiffness. In deriving the constitutive model, a local yield surface is used to determine the occurrence of plasticity and a local damage surface is used to determine the occurrence of damage. Isotropic hardening and kinematic hardening are incorporated as state variables to describe the change of the yield surface. Additionally, a damage isotropic hardening is incorporated as a state variable to describe the change of the damage surface. The hardening conjugate forces (stress-like terms) are general nonlinear functions of their corresponding hardening state variables (strain-like terms) and can be defined based on the desired material behavior. Various exponential and power law functional forms are studied in this formulation. The paper discusses the general concept of using such functional forms. however, it does not address the relevant appropriateness of certain forms to solve different problems. The proposed work introduces a strong coupling between damage and plasticity by utilizing damage and plasticity flow rules that are dependent on both the plastic and damage potentials. However, in addition to that the coupling is further enhanced through the use of the functional forms of the hardening variables introduced in this formulation.The use of this formulation in solving boundary value problems will be presented in future work. The fully implicit backward Euler scheme is developed for this model to be solved in a Newton–Raphson solution procedure.     

基于能量等效原理的应变局部化分析:Ⅰ.一维解析解

基于热力学第一定律和非局部塑性理论,提出了一种求解应变局部化问题的非局部方法.对材料的每一点定义了局部和非局部两种状态空间,局部状态空间的内变量通过非局部权函数映射到非局部空间,成为非局部内变量.在应变软化过程中,局部状态空间中的塑性变形服从正交流动法则,材料的软化律在非局部状态空间中被引入.通过两个状态空间的塑性应变能耗散率的等效,得到了应变软化过程中明确定义的局部化区域以及其中的塑性应变分布.应用本方法导出了一维应变局部化问题的解析解.解析解表明,应变局部化区域的尺寸只与材料内尺度有关;对于高斯型非局部权函数,局部化区域的尺寸大约是材料内尺度的6倍.一维算例表明,局部化区域的塑性应变分布以及载荷-位移曲线仅与材料参数和结构几何尺寸有关,变形局部化区域的尺寸随着材料内尺度的减小而减小,同时塑性应变也随着材料内尺度的减小变得更加集中.当内尺度趋近于零时,应用本文方法得到的解与采用传统的局部塑性理论得到的解相同.     

Research note on a reexamination of neutral loading experiments

In the examination of the published results from neutral loading experiments, the question as to whether plastic deformation occurs is found to depend on both the material and initial loading strain. Provided that initial loading is elastic, then a subsequent stress path that follows the boundary of the initial yield surface for a hardening material is truly neutral with a wholly elastic response. However, when initial loading is elastic-plastic, then further plastic deformation is produced from a subsequent stress path that follows an isotropic expansion of the initial yield surface. These results enable the appropriateness of the kinematic hardening rule and more recent developments in plasticity theory to be appraised. Neutral loading of a non-hardening material produces plastic flow. Whether the absence of hardening is inherent or induced by plastic prestrain, it is shown that the Prandtl-Reuss theory then represents the observed behavior. In general, the purely elastic and nonhardening solutions provide respectively lower and upper bounds on the deformation.     

A three-invariant cap model with isotropic–kinematic hardening rule and associated plasticity for granular materials

In this paper, a three-invariant cap model is developed for the isotropic–kinematic hardening and associated plasticity of granular materials. The model is based on the concepts of elasticity and plasticity theories together with an associated flow rule and a work hardening law for plastic deformations of granulars. The hardening rule is defined by its decomposition into the isotropic and kinematic material functions. The constitutive elasto-plastic matrix and its components are derived by using the definition of yield surface, material functions and non-linear elastic behavior, as function of hardening parameters. The model assessment and procedure for determination of material parameters are described. Finally, the applicability of proposed plasticity model is demonstrated in numerical simulation of several triaxial and confining pressure tests on different granular materials, including: wheat, rape, synthetic granulate and sand.     

The appropriate corotational rate, exact formula for the plastic spin and constitutive model for finite elastoplasticity

The exact formulae for the plastic and the elastic spin referred to the deformed configuration are derived, where the plastic spin is a function of the plastic strain rate and the elastic spin a function of the elastic strain rate. With these exact formulae we determine the macroscopic substructure spin that allows us to define the appropriate corotational rate for finite elastoplasticity.Plastic, elastic and substructure spin are considered and simplified for various sub-classes of restricted elastic-plastic strains. It is shown that for the special cases of rigid-plasticity and hypoelasticity the proposed corotational rate is identical with the Green-Naghdi rate, while the ZarembaJaumann rate yields a good approximation for moderately large strains.To compare our exact plastic spin formula with the constitutive assumption for the plastic spin introduced by Dafalias and others, we simplify our result for small elastic-moderate plastic strains and introduce a simplest evolution law for kinematic hardening leading to the Dafalias formula and to an exact determination of its unknown coefficient. It is also shown that contrary to statements in the literature the plastic spin is not zero for vanishing kinematic hardening.For isotropic-elastic material with induced plastic flow undergoing isotropic and kinematic hardening constitutive and evolution laws are proposed. Elastic and plastic Lagrangean and Eulerian logarithmic strain measures are introduced and their material time derivatives and corotational rates, respectively, are considered. Finally, the elastic-plastic tangent operator is derived.The presented theory is implemented in a solution algorithm and numerically applied to the simple shear problem for finite elastic-finite plastic strains as well as for sub-classes of restricted strains. The results are compared with those of the literature and with those obtained by using other corotational rates.