A comparison between crystal and isotropic strain gradient plasticity theories with accent on the role of the plastic spin

In the small deformation range, we consider crystal and isotropic “higher-order” theories of strain gradient plasticity, in which two different types of size effects are accounted for: (i) that dissipative, entering the model through the definition of an effective measure of plastic deformation peculiar of the isotropic hardening function and (ii) that energetic, included by defining the defect energy (i.e., a function of Nye's dislocation density tensor added to the free energy; see, e.g., [Gurtin, M.E., 2002. A gradient theory of single-crystal viscoplasticity that accounts for geometrically necessary dislocations. J. Mech. Phys. Solids 50, 5–32]). In order to compare the two modellings, we recast both of them into a unified deformation theory framework and apply them to a simple boundary value problem for which we can exploit the Γ-convergence results of [Bardella, L., Giacomini, A., 2008. Influence of material parameters and crystallography on the size effects describable by means of strain gradient plasticity. J. Mech. Phys. Solids 56 (9), 2906–2934], in which the crystal model is made isotropic by imposing that any direction be a possible slip system. We show that the isotropic modelling can satisfactorily approximate the behaviour described by the isotropic limit obtained from the crystal modelling if the former constitutively involves the plastic spin, as in the theory put forward in Section 12 of [Gurtin, M.E., 2004. A gradient theory of small-deformation isotropic plasticity that accounts for the Burgers vector and for dissipation due to plastic spin. J. Mech. Phys. Solids 52, 2545–2568]. The analysis suggests a criterium for choosing the material parameter governing the plastic spin dependence into the relevant Gurtin model.     

Scale transition of a higher order plasticity model – A consistent homogenization theory from meso to macro

Standard plasticity models cannot capture the microstructural size effect associated with grain sizes, as well as structural size effects induced by external boundaries and overall gradients. Many higher-order plasticity models introduce a length scale parameter to resolve the latter limitation – microstructural influences are not explicitly account for. This paper adopts two distinct length scales in the formulation, i.e. an intrinsic length scale (l) governing micro-processes such as dislocation pile-up at internal boundaries, as well as the characteristic grain size (L), and aims to unravel the interaction between these two length scales and the characteristic specimen size (H) at the macro level. At the meso-scale, we adopt the strain gradient plasticity model developed in Gurtin (2004) [Gurtin, M.E., 2004. A gradient theory of small-deformation isotropic plasticity that accounts for the Burgers vector and for dissipation due to plastic spin. J. Mech. Phys. Solids 52, 2545–2568] which accounts for the direct influence of grain boundaries. Through a novel homogenization theory, the plasticity model is translated consistently from meso to macro. The two length scale parameters (l and L) manifest themselves naturally at the macro scale, hence capturing both types of size effects in an average sense. The resulting (macro) higher-order model is thermodynamically consistent to the meso model, and has the same structure as a micromorphic continuum. Finally, we consider a bending example for the two limiting cases – microhard and microfree conditions at grain boundaries – and illustrate the excellent match between the meso and homogenized solutions.     

Strain gradient plasticity modeling of the cyclic behavior of laminate microstructures

Two recently proposed Helmholtz free energy potentials including the full dislocation density tensor as an argument within the framework of strain gradient plasticity are used to predict the cyclic elastoplastic response of periodic laminate microstructures. First, a rank-one defect energy is considered, allowing for a size-effect on the overall yield strength of micro-heterogeneous materials. As a second candidate, a logarithmic defect energy is investigated, which is motivated by the work of Groma et al. (2003). The properties of the back-stress arising from both energies are investigated in the case of a laminate microstructure for which analytical as well as numerical solutions are derived. In this context, a new regularization technique for the numerical treatment of the rank-one potential is presented based on an incremental potential involving Lagrange multipliers. The results illustrate the effect of the two energies on the macroscopic size-dependent stress–strain response in monotonic and cyclic shear loading, as well as the arising pile-up distributions. Under cyclic loading, stress–strain hysteresis loops with inflections are predicted by both models. The logarithmic potential is shown to provide a continuum formulation of Asaro's type III kinematic hardening model. Experimental evidence in the literature of such loops with inflections in two-phased FFC alloys is provided, showing that the proposed strain gradient models reflect the occurrence of reversible plasticity phenomena under reverse loading.     

A conventional theory of mechanism-based strain gradient plasticity

There exist two frameworks of strain gradient plasticity theories to model size effects observed at the micron and sub-micron scales in experiments. The first framework involves the higher-order stress and therefore requires extra boundary conditions, such as the theory of mechanism-based strain gradient (MSG) plasticity [J Mech Phys Solids 47 (1999) 1239; J Mech Phys Solids 48 (2000) 99; J Mater Res 15 (2000) 1786] established from the Taylor dislocation model. The other framework does not involve the higher-order stress, and the strain gradient effect come into play via the incremental plastic moduli. A conventional theory of mechanism-based strain gradient plasticity is established in this paper. It is also based on the Taylor dislocation model, but it does not involve the higher-order stress and therefore falls into the second strain gradient plasticity framework that preserves the structure of conventional plasticity theories. The plastic strain gradient appears only in the constitutive model, and the equilibrium equations and boundary conditions are the same as the conventional continuum theories. It is shown that the difference between this theory and the higher-order MSG plasticity theory based on the same dislocation model is only significant within a thin boundary layer of the solid.     

Experiments and theory in strain gradient elasticity

Conventional strain-based mechanics theory does not account for contributions from strain gradients. Failure to include strain gradient contributions can lead to underestimates of stresses and size-dependent behaviors in small-scale structures. In this paper, a new set of higher-order metrics is developed to characterize strain gradient behaviors. This set enables the application of the higher-order equilibrium conditions to strain gradient elasticity theory and reduces the number of independent elastic length scale parameters from five to three. On the basis of this new strain gradient theory, a strain gradient elastic bending theory for plane-strain beams is developed. Solutions for cantilever bending with a moment and line force applied at the free end are constructed based on the new higher-order bending theory. In classical bending theory, the normalized bending rigidity is independent of the length and thickness of the beam. In the solutions developed from the higher-order bending theory, the normalized higher-order bending rigidity has a new dependence on the thickness of the beam and on a higher-order bending parameter, b_h. To determine the significance of the size dependence, we fabricated micron-sized beams and conducted bending tests using a nanoindenter. We found that the normalized beam rigidity exhibited an inverse squared dependence on the beam's thickness as predicted by the strain gradient elastic bending theory, and that the higher-order bending parameter, b_h, is on the micron-scale. Potential errors from the experiments, model and fabrication were estimated and determined to be small relative to the observed increase in beam's bending rigidity. The present results indicate that the elastic strain gradient effect is significant in elastic deformation of small-scale structures.     

Shakedown analysis for a class of strengthening materials within the framework of gradient plasticity

The classical shakedown theory is extended to a class of perfectly plastic materials with strengthening effects (Hall–Petch effects). To this aim, a strain gradient plasticity model previously advanced by Polizzotto (2010) is used, whereby a featuring strengthening law provides the strengthening stress, i.e. the increase of the yield strength produced by plastic deformation, as a degree-zero homogeneous second-order differential form in the accumulated plastic strain with associated higher order boundary conditions. The extended static (Melan) and kinematic (Koiter) shakedown theorems are proved together with the related lower bound and upper bound theorems. The shakedown limit load problem is addressed and discussed in the present context, and its solution uniqueness shown out. A simple micro-scale structural system is considered as an illustrative example. The shakedown limit load is shown to increase with decreasing the structural size, which is a manifestation of the classical Hall–Petch effects in a context of cyclic loading.     

Size effects on the plastic collapse limit load of thin foils in bending and thin wires in torsion

Following a previous paper by the author [Strain gradient plasticity, strengthening effects and plastic limit analysis, Int. J. Solids Struct. 47 (2010) 100–112], a nonconventional plastic limit analysis for a particular class of micron scale structures as, typically, thin foils in bending and thin wires in torsion, is here addressed. An idealized rigid-perfectly plastic material is considered, which is featured by a strengthening potential degree-one homogeneous function of the effective plastic strain and its spatial gradient. The nonlocal (gradient) nature of the material resides in the inherent strengthening law, whereby the yield strength is related to the effective plastic strain through a second order PDE with associated higher order boundary conditions. The peculiarity of the considered structures stems from their geometry and loading conditions, which dictate the shape of the collapse mechanism and make the higher order boundary conditions on the (microscopically) free boundary be accommodated by means of a boundary singularity mechanism. This consists in the formation of thin boundary layers with unbounded stresses, but bounded stress resultants which —together with the regular bulk stresses— contribute to the value of the collapse load. Closed-form solutions are provided for thin foils in pure bending and thin wires in pure torsion, and in particular the limit bending and torque moments are given as functions of an adimensionalized internal length parameter.     

Size effects and idealized dislocation microstructure at small scales: Predictions of a Phenomenological model of Mesoscopic Field Dislocation Mechanics: Part I

A Phenomenological Mesoscopic Field Dislocation Mechanics (PMFDM) model is developed, extending continuum plasticity theory for studying initial-boundary value problems of small-scale plasticity. PMFDM results from an elementary space-time averaging of the equations of Field Dislocation Mechanics (FDM), followed by a closure assumption from any strain-gradient plasticity model that attempts to account for effects of geometrically necessary dislocations (GNDs) only in work hardening. The specific lower-order gradient plasticity model chosen to substantiate this work requires one additional material parameter compared to its conventional continuum plasticity counterpart. The further addition of dislocation mechanics requires no additional material parameters. The model (a) retains the constitutive dependence of the free-energy only on elastic strain as in conventional continuum plasticity with no explicit dependence on dislocation density, (b) does not require higher-order stresses, and (c) does not require a constitutive specification of a ‘back-stress’ in the expression for average dislocation velocity/plastic strain rate. However, long-range stress effects of average dislocation distributions are predicted by the model in a mechanistically rigorous sense. Plausible boundary conditions (with obvious implication for corresponding interface conditions) are discussed in some detail from a physical point of view. Energetic and dissipative aspects of the model are also discussed. The developed framework is a continuous-time model of averaged dislocation plasticity, without having to rely on the notion of incremental work functions, their convexity properties, or their minimization. The tangent modulus relating stress rate and total strain rate in the model is the positive-definite tensor of linear elasticity, and this is not an impediment to the development of idealized microstructure in the theory and computations, even when such a convexity property is preserved in a computational scheme. A model of finite deformation, mesoscopic single crystal plasticity is also presented, motivated by the above considerations.Lower-order gradient plasticity appears as a constitutive limit of PMFDM, and the development suggests a plausible boundary condition on the plastic strain rate for this limit that is appropriate for the modeling of constrained plastic flow in three-dimensional situations.     

Nonlocal gradient-dependent modeling of plasticity with anisotropic hardening

This work addresses the formulation of the thermodynamics of nonlocal plasticity using the gradient theory. The formulation is based on the nonlocality energy residual introduced by Eringen and Edelen (1972). Gradients are introduced for those variables associated with isotropic and kinematic hardening. The formulation applies to small strain gradient plasticity and makes use of the evanescent memory model for kinematic hardening. This is accomplished using the kinematic flux evolution as developed by Zbib and Aifantis (1988). Therefore, the present theory is a four nonlocal parameter-based theory that accounts for the influence of large variations in the plastic strain, accumulated plastic strain, accumulated plastic strain gradients, and the micromechanical evolution of the kinematic flux. Using the principle of virtual power and the laws of thermodynamics, thermodynamically-consistent equations are derived for the nonlocal plasticity yield criterion and associated flow rule. The presence of higher-order gradients in the plastic strain is shown to enhance a corresponding history variable which arises from the accumulation of the plastic strain gradients. Furthermore, anisotropy is introduced by plastic strain gradients in the form of kinematic hardening. Plastic strain gradients can be attributed to the net Burgers vector, while gradients in the accumulation of plastic strain are responsible for the introduction of isotropic hardening. The equilibrium between internal Cauchy stress and the microstresses conjugate to the higher-order gradients frames the yield criterion, which is obtained from the principle of virtual power. Microscopic boundary conditions, associated with plastic flow, are introduced to supplement the macroscopic boundary conditions of classical plasticity. The nonlocal formulation developed here preserves the classical assumption of local plasticity, wherein plastic flow direction is governed by the deviatoric Cauchy stress. The theory is applied to the problems of thin films on both soft and hard substrates. Numerical solutions are presented for bi-axial tension and simple shear loading of thin films on substrates.     

Damage accumulation for growth of anti-plane crack in work-hardening material

Elastic–plastic solutions of an anti-plane crack in an infinite body are used in conjunction with a continuum damage model to describe the conditions necessary for the onset of crack instability, fatigue crack propagation due to cyclic loading, and rates of crack growth due to time dependent events. A power law relates the stress to the strain of the material. The damage, which invokes nucleation, growth and coalescence of microvoids due to elevated strain, is confined to the plastic zone surrounding the crack tip. For applied loading below the yield stress, the small-scale and large-scale yielding solutions are used to determine the influence of strain hardening on crack instability and failure. Crack growth due to cyclic loading and time-dependent deformations are studied using the small-scale yielding solution of the deformation theory of plasticity.     

Roles of plastic spin in shear banding

In this paper, the effects of plastic spin on shear banding and simple shear are examined systematically. Three types of plastic constitutive model with plastic spin are considered: (i) a non-coaxial model in which the direction of the plastic strain rate depends on that of the stress rate; (ii) a strain-softening model based on the J₂ flow theory; and (iii) the pressure-sensitive porous plasticity model. All the constitutive models are formulated in viscoplastic forms and in conjunction with non-local concepts that have been recently focused and discussed. First, behavior in simple shear is examined by numerical analysee with the aforementioned constitutive models. Moreover, some experimental evidences for stress response to simple shear are shown; that is, several large torsion tests of metal tubes and bars are carried out. Next, finite element simulations of shear banding in plane strain tension are performed. A critical effect of plastic spin on shear banding is observed for the noncoaxial model, while an almost negligible effect is observed for the porous model. The identical effects of plastic spin are observed, whether nonlocality exists or not. Finally, we discuss the relationship between the behavior in simple shear and the shear band formation. It is emphasized that this is a critical issue in predicting shear banding in macroscopic grounds.     

An endochronic theory accounting for deformation induced anisotropy of metals under biaxial load

Using the experimental results of yield surfaces obtained by Wu and Yeh [1991] (Int. J. Plasticity, 7, 803) for 304 stainless steel, this work provides a verification of the endochronic theory of plasticity accounting for deformation induced anisotropy. The experiments were performed under proportional loading conditions. The main difference between this paper and other papers that attempt to describe the distortion of a yield surface is that, in addition to distortion, motion of yield surface (kinematic hardening) has also been addressed by this paper. The result has shown that the theory predicts the experimental data with substantial accuracy. However, since in this theory the plastic strain increment, although normal to the initial yield surface, is in the radial direction emanating from the center of the subsequent yield surface, validity of the present model must be further studied for the case involving nonproportional loading conditions.     

Plasticity in polycrystalline fretting fatigue contacts

Plastic deformation at the scale of microstructure plays an important role in fretting fatigue failure of metals under cyclic loading. In this study, crystal viscoplasticity theory with a planar triple slip idealization is employed to represent crystallographic plasticity in two-dimensional fretting analyses of Ti-6Al-4V. Subsurface deformation maps, fretting maps, and shakedown maps are constructed based on application of J₂ plasticity theory for the polycrystalline substrate. Comparisons are then made with polycrystal viscoplasticity simulations, the latter suggesting that plastic ratchetting plays a significant role in the fretting fatigue process.     

On Aifantis’ strain gradient plasticity theory accounting for plastic spin

This paper examines the effect of codirectionality hypothesis on Aifantis’ distortion gradient plasticity theory. The system of microforces includes microstress, power-conjugate to the Burgers tensor rate. The proposed codirectionality hypothesis assumes, that the flow direction and the plastic microstress are in the same direction. It is obtained that the power expended by the microstress power-conjugate to the Burgers tensor rate, can be additively decomposed to power expended by scalar and vector microscopic stresses power-conjugate to the accumulated plastic distortion rate and gradient of plastic distortion rate respectively. Following the proposed codirectionality hypothesis, it is obtained that the microstress power-conjugate to the Burgers tensor rate is purely energetic. The obtained flow rule accounts for plastic spin and generalizes the Aifantis’ flow rule.     

Influence of material parameters and crystallography on the size effects describable by means of strain gradient plasticity

In the context of single-crystal strain gradient plasticity, we focus on the simple shear of a constrained strip in order to study the effects of the material parameters possibly involved in the modelling. The model consists of a deformation theory suggested and left undeveloped by Bardella [(2007). Some remarks on the strain gradient crystal plasticity modelling, with particular reference to the material length scales involved. Int. J. Plasticity 23, 296–322] in which, for each glide, three dissipative length scales are considered; they enter the model through the definition of an effective slip which brings into the isotropic hardening function the relevant plastic strain gradients, averaged by means of a p-norm. By means of the defect energy (i.e., a function of Nye's dislocation density tensor added to the free energy; see, e.g., Gurtin [2002. A gradient theory of single-crystal viscoplasticity that accounts for geometrically necessary dislocations. J. Mech. Phys. Solids 50, 5–32]), the model further involves an energetic material length scale. The application suggests that two dissipative length scales may be enough to qualitatively describe the size effect of metals at the microscale, and they are chosen in such a way that the higher-order state variables of the model be the dislocation densities. Moreover, we show that, depending on the crystallography, the size effect governed by the defect energy may be different from what expected (based on the findings of [Bardella, L., 2006. A deformation theory of strain gradient crystal plasticity that accounts for geometrically necessary dislocations. J. Mech. Phys. Solids 54, 128–160] and [Gurtin et al. 2007. Gradient single-crystal plasticity with free energy dependent on dislocation densities. J. Mech. Phys. Solids 55, 1853–1878]), leading mostly to some strengthening. In order to investigate the model capability, we also exploit a Γ-convergence technique to find closed-form solutions in the “isotropic limit”. Finally, we analytically show that in the “perfect plasticity” case, should the dissipative length scales be set to zero, the presence of the sole energetic length scale may lead, as in standard plasticity, to non-uniqueness of solutions.     

A unified treatment of strain gradient plasticity

A theoretical framework is presented that has potential to cover a large range of strain gradient plasticity effects in isotropic materials. Both incremental plasticity and viscoplasticity models are presented. Many of the alternative models that have been presented in the literature are included as special cases. Based on the expression for plastic dissipation, it is in accordance with Gurtin (J. Mech. Phys. Solids 48 (2000) 989; Int. J. Plast. 19 (2003) 47) argued that the plastic flow direction is governed by a microstress q_ij and not the deviatoric Cauchy stress σ_ij′ that has been assumed by many others. The structure of the governing equations is of second order in the displacements and the plastic strains which makes it comparatively easy to implement in a finite element programme. In addition, a framework for the formulation of consistent boundary conditions is presented. It is shown that there is a close connection between surface energy of an interface and boundary conditions in terms of plastic strains and moment stresses. This should make it possible to study boundary layer effects at the interface between grains or phases. Consistent boundary conditions for an expanding elastic-plastic boundary are as well formulated. As examples, biaxial tension of a thin film on a thick substrate, torsion of a thin wire and a spherical void under remote hydrostatic tension are investigated.     

Fracture of bicrystal metal/ceramic interfaces: A study via the mechanism-based strain gradient crystal plasticity theory

Two continuum mechanical models of crystal plasticity theory namely, conventional crystal plasticity theory and mechanism-based crystal plasticity theory, are used to perform a comparative study of stresses that are reached at and ahead of the crack tip of a bicrystal niobium/alumina specimen. Finite element analyses are done for a stationary crack tip and growing cracks using a cohesive modelling approach. Using mechanism-based strain gradient crystal plasticity theory the stresses reached ahead of the crack tip are found to be two times larger than the stresses obtained from conventional crystal plasticity theory. Results also show that strain gradient effects strongly depend on the intrinsic material length to the size of plastic zone ratio (l/R₀). It is found that the larger the (l/R₀) ratio, the higher the stresses reached using mechanism-based strain gradient crystal plasticity theory. An insight into the role of cohesive strength and work of adhesion in macroscopic fracture is also presented which can be used by experimentalists to design better bimaterials by varying cohesive strength and work of adhesion.     

Direct calculations of material parameters for gradient plasticity

Length scale parameters introduced in gradient theories of plasticity are calculated in closed form with a continuum dislocation based theory. The similarity of the governing equations in both models for the evolution of plastic deformation of a constrained thin film makes it possible to identify parameters of the gradient plasticity theory with the dislocation based model. A one-to-one identification is not possible given that gradient plasticity does not account for individual dislocations. However, by comparing the mean plastic deformation across the film thickness we find that the length scale parameter, l, introduced in the gradient plasticity theory depends on the geometry as well as material constants.     

Size-dependent sharp indentation—I: a closed-form expression of the indentation loading curve

In this paper, a closed-form expression of the size-dependent sharp indentation loading curve has been proposed based on dimensional analysis and the finite deformation Taylor-based nonlocal theory (TNT) of plasticity (Int. J. Plasticity 20 (2004) 831). The key issue is to link the results of FEM based on TNT plasticity with those obtained using conventional FEM by taking as the effective strain gradient, η, that presented in the work of Nix and Gao (J. Mech. Phys. Solids 46 (1998) 411), thus avoiding large-scale finite element computations using strain gradient plasticity theories. Two experiments carried out on 316 stainless-steel and pure titanium have been used to verify the effectiveness of the present analytical model; the results demonstrate that the present analytical expression of the size-dependent indentation loading curve corresponds very well to the experimental indentation loading curve. The empirical constant, α, in the Taylor model estimated from the experimental data has the correct order of magnitude. Also, the results presented in this part can be further applied to establish an analytical framework to extract the plastic properties of metallic materials with sharp indentation on a small scale where the size effect caused by geometrically necessary dislocations is significant. This will be discussed in detail in the second part of the paper.     

Effect of yield surface vertex on crack-tip fields in mode III

An asymptotic crack-tip analysis of stress and strain fields is carried out for an antiplane shear crack (Mode III) based on a corner theory of plasticity. Because of the nonproportional loading history experienced by a material element near the crack tip in stable crack growth, classical flow theory may predict an overly stiff response of the elastic plastic solid, as is the case in plastic buckling problems. The corner theory used here accounts for this anomalous behavior. The results are compared with those of a similar analysis based on the J₂ flow theory of plasticity.