A novel quadratic yield model to describe the feature of multi-yield-surface of rolled sheet metals

Since Hill’s quadratic yield model [Hill, R., 1948. A theory of the yielding and plastic flow of anisotropic metals. Proc. Roy. Soc. Lond. A193, 281–297] cannot address enough experimental results for fairly describing the “anomalous” yield behavior as observed in some of rolled sheet metals, a new quadratic yield model is proposed. As the concept of multiple yielding systems is introduced into the new quadratic yield model, seven commonly used experimental results, three uniaxial tension stresses, one equibiaxial tension stress and three strain ratios, can all be taken into account for characterizing the anisotropy of rolled sheet metals. If more experimental results are extra needed for further improving the prediction, this yield model is still workable. As the experimental parameters are defined as functions of loading direction of corresponding test separately from the major part of yield model, the increase of experimental results regarding the same test does not vary the quadratic form of yield model. The representation of this yield model with axes of principal stresses demonstrates the similar form to Hill’s quadratic model. Therefore, many previous studies developed from Hill’s quadratic yield model can be directly upgraded by the new model to reach a higher accurate level.     

Characterization and development of an evolutionary yield function for the superconducting niobium sheet

Superconducting radio frequency (SRF) niobium cavities are widely used in high-energy physics to accelerate particle beams in particle accelerators. The performance of SRF cavities is affected by the microstructure and purity of the niobium sheet, surface quality, geometry, etc. Following optimum strain paths in the forming of these cavities can significantly control these parameters. To select these strain paths, however, information about the mechanical behavior, microstructure, and formability of the niobium sheet is required. Due to the lack of information, first an extensive experimental study was carried out to characterize the formability of the niobium sheet, followed by examining the suitability of Hill’s anisotropic yield function to model its plastic behavior. Results from this study showed that, due to intrinsic behavior, it is necessary to evolve the anisotropic coefficients of Hill’s yield function in order to properly model the plastic behavior of the niobium sheet. The accuracy of the newly developed evolutionary yield function was verified by applying it to the modeling of the hydrostatic bulging of the niobium sheet.     

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.     

On the use of homogeneous polynomials to develop anisotropic yield functions with applications to sheet forming

This paper investigates the capabilities of several non-quadratic polynomial yield functions to model the plastic anisotropy of orthotropic sheet metal (plane stress). Fourth, sixth and eighth-order homogeneous polynomials are considered. For the computation of the coefficients of the fourth-order polynomial an improved set of analytic formulas is proposed. For sixth and eighth-order polynomials the identification uses optimization. Simple constraints on the optimization process are shown to lead to real-valued convex functions. A general method to extend the above plane stress criteria to full 3D stress states is also suggested. Besides their simplicity in formulation, it is found that polynomial yield functions are capable to model a wide range of anisotropic plastic properties (e.g., the Numisheet’93 mild steel, AA2008-T4, AA2090-T3). The yield functions have then been implemented into a commercial finite element code as constitutive subroutines. The deep drawing of square (Numisheet’93) and cylindrical (AA2090-T3) cups have been simulated. In both cases excellent agreement with experimental data is obtained. In particular, it is shown that non-quadratic polynomial yield functions can simulate cylindrical cups with six or eight ears. We close with a discussion on earing and further examples.     

Convex Fung-type potentials for biological tissues

The anisotropic, non-linear elastic behavior of biological soft tissue is typically accounted for by the hypothesis of hyperelasticity, i.e., the existence of an elastic potential. Fung-type potentials, based on the exponential of a quadratic form in the components of the Green-Lagrange strain, have been widely used in soft tissue modeling, and have inspired potentials in which the exponential was replaced by other monotonically increasing functions. It has been shown that simple fitting of the parameters of a Fung-type potential to experimental stress-strain curves may lead to non-convexity, with undesirable effects on the reliability of the algorithms used in Finite Element simulations. In this paper, we prove that the necessary and sufficient condition for the strict convexity of a Fung-type potential is that the quadratic form in the exponential is positive definite. This result provides a clear physical meaning for the parameters featuring in the quadratic form, and their relationship with the small-strain elastic moduli. This consistency relationship must be respected in order to guarantee that the Fung-type potential correctly reduces to the quadratic potential of classic linear elasticity in the small-strain approximation. Furthermore, we show that, when the conditions of convexity and consistency with the linear theory are respected, Fung-type potentials become a one-parameter family, and we discuss the consequences of this result for when fitting experimental data. An erratum to this article can be found at     

A generalized anisotropic and asymmetric yield criterion with adjustable complexity

During the past decades, numerous yield criteria for orthotropic materials, possibly showing tension–compression asymmetry, were developed. Although they were applied successfully to forming simulations, they are usually only adequate for a specific class of materials. The aim of this work is to present a generalized, pressure-independent criterion for plane stress states on the base of a two-dimensional Fourier series. Its complexity is adjustable through the number of considered Fourier coefficients, and thus, albeit using an associated flow rule, virtually any number of experimental data can be captured exactly. The criterion is applicable for materials with or without tension–compression asymmetry.     

Application of digital image correlation to the study of planar anisotropy of sheet metals at large strains

The aim of this work is to measure and model the planar anisotropy of thin steel sheets. The experimental data have been collected using the digital image correlation technique. This is a powerful tool to measure the strain field on differently shaped specimens subjected to large plastic deformations. In this manner, it is possible to observe the material behaviour under different stress-strain states, from small to large deformation conditions, on the entire specimen surface. The experimental results on smooth and notched samples have been used to characterize the flow stress curve after necking and a nonassociated plastic flow rule is proposed to describe the anisotropic behaviour of the material. To compare the experimental data with the predictions of the adopted constitutive model, a novel method, based on the image correlation results, has been implemented.     

A novel yield function for single crystals based on combined constraints optimization

A novel yield function representing the overall plastic deformation in a single crystal is developed using the concept of optimization. Based on the principle of maximum dissipation during a plastic deformation, the problem of single crystal plasticity is first considered as a constrained optimization problem in which constraints are yield functions for slip systems. To overcome the singularity that usually arises in solving the above problem, a mathematical technique is used to replace the above constrained optimization problem with an equivalent problem which has only one constraint. This single constraint optimization problem, the so-called combined constraints crystal plasticity (CCCP) model, is implemented into a finite element code and the results of modeling the uniaxial tensions of the single crystal copper along different crystallographic directions and also hydroforming of aluminum tubes proved the capability of the proposed CCCP model in accurately predicting the deformation in polycrystalline materials.     

Extended Kantorovich method for local stresses in composite laminates upon polynomial stress functions

The extended Kantorovich method is employed to study the local stress concentrations at the vicinity of free edges in symmetrically layered composite laminates subjected to uniaxial tensile load upon polynomial stress functions. The stress fields are initially assumed by means of the Lekhnitskii stress functions under the plane strain state. Applying the principle of complementary virtual work, the coupled ordinary differential equations are obtained in which the solutions can be obtained by solving a generalized eigenvalue problem. Then an iterative procedure is estab-lished to achieve convergent stress distributions. It should be noted that the stress function based extended Kantorovich method can satisfy both the traction-free and free edge stress boundary conditions during the iterative processes. The stress components near the free edges and in the interior regions are calculated and compared with those obtained results by finite element method (FEM). The convergent stresses have good agreements with those results obtained by three dimensional (3D) FEM. For generality, various layup configurations are considered for the numerical analysis. The results show that the proposed polynomial stress function based extended Kan-torovich method is accurate and efficient in predicting the local stresses in composite laminates and computationally much more efficient than the 3D FEM.     

An experimental and numerical investigation of different shear test configurations for sheet metal characterization

Simple shear tests are widely used for material characterization especially for sheet metals to achieve large deformations without plastic instability. This work describes three different shear tests for sheet metals in order to enhance the knowledge of the material behavior under shear conditions. The test setups are different in terms of the specimen geometry and the fixtures. A shear test setup as proposed by Miyauchi, according to the ASTM standard sample, as well as an in-plane torsion test are compared in this study. A detailed analysis of the experimental strain distribution measured by digital image correlation is discussed for each test. Finite element simulations are carried out to evaluate the effect of specimen geometries on the stress distributions in the shear zones. The experimental macroscopic flow stress vs. strain behavior shows no significant influence of the specimen geometry when similar strain measurements and evaluation schemes are used. Minor differences in terms of the stress distribution in the shear zone can be detected in the numerical results. This work attempts to give a unique overview and a detailed study of the most commonly used shear tests for sheet metal characterization. It also provides information on the applicability of each test for the observation of the material behavior under shear stress with a view to material modeling for finite element simulations.     

A New Experimental Technique for the Multi-axial Testing of Advanced High Strength Steel Sheets

This paper deals with the development of a new experimental technique for the multi-axial testing of flat sheets and its application to advanced high strength steels. In close analogy with the traditional tension-torsion test for bulk materials, the sheet material is subject to combined tension and shear loading. Using a custom-made dual actuator hydraulic testing machine, combinations of normal and tangential loading are applied to the boundaries of a flat sheet metal specimen. The specimen shape is optimized to provide uniform stress and strain fields within its gage section. Finite element simulations are carried out to verify the approximate formulas for the shear and normal stress components at the specimen center. The corresponding strain fields are determined from digital image correlation. Two test series are performed on a TRIP-assisted steel sheet. The experimental results demonstrate that this new experimental technique can be used to investigate the large deformation behavior of advanced high strength steel sheets. The evolution of the yield surface of the TRIP700 steel is determined for both radial and non-proportional loading paths.     

A finite strain constitutive model for metal powder compaction using a unique and convex single surface yield function

Constitutive modelling of metal powder compaction processes is a challenge in view of realistic simulations. To this end, the article under consideration has two objectives: the first goal is to present a new unique and convex single surface yield function for pressure dependent materials, which is also applicable to other areas of granular materials such as soils or concrete. The flexibility is shown at various materials. The yield function is based on a log-interpolation of two known simple yield functions. A convexity proof of the new yield function is provided. The second objective is to propose a new rate-independent finite strain plasticity model for metal powder compaction, which is based on the multiplicative decomposition of the deformation gradient into an elastic and a plastic part with evolution equations for internal variables representing the basic behaviour of powder materials under compaction conditions. These variables are used for the evolution of the yield function in order to represent the compressible hardening behaviour of powder materials. On the basis of the constitutive model, the material parameters are identified at experimental data of copper powder.     

A greedy algorithm for yield surface approximation

This Note presents an approximation method for convex yield surfaces in the framework of yield design theory. The proposed algorithm constructs an approximation using a convex hull of ellipsoids such that the approximate criterion can be formulated in terms of second-order conic constraints. The algorithm can treat bounded as well as unbounded yield surfaces. Its efficiency is illustrated on two yield surfaces obtained using up-scaling procedures.     

The yield stress myth?

New experimental data obtained from constant stress rheometers are used to show that the yield stress concept is an idealization, and that, given accurate measurements, no yield stress exists. The simple Cross model is shown to be a useful empiricism for many non-Newtonian fluids, including those which have hitherto been thought to possess a yield stress.Paper presented at the 9th International Congress on Rheology, Acapulco, Mexico, October 1984.     

Construction space harmonic functions in polynomial form and spherical functions by complex-functional

In this paper, applying the theory of complex-functional, not only the space harmonic functions in polynomial form, but also the spherical functions are obtained.     

On the use of a reduced enhanced solid-shell (RESS) element for sheet forming simulations

A recently proposed reduced enhanced solid-shell (RESS) element [Alves de Sousa, R.J., Cardoso, R.P.R., Fontes Valente, R.A., Yoon, J.W., Grácio, J.J., Natal Jorge, R.M., 2005. A new one-point quadrature enhanced assumed strain (EAS) solid-shell element with multiple integration points along thickness: Part I – Geometrically Linear Applications. International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering 62, 952–977; Alves de Sousa, R.J., Cardoso, R.P.R., Fontes Valente, R.A., Yoon, J.W., Grácio, J.J., Natal Jorge, R.M., 2006. A new one-point quadrature enhanced assumed strain (EAS) solid-shell element with multiple integration points along thickness: Part II – Nonlinear Applications. International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering, 67, 160–188.] is based on the enhanced assumed strain (EAS) method with a one-point quadrature numerical integration scheme. In this work, the RESS element is applied to large-deformation elasto-plastic thin-shell applications, including contact and plastic anisotropy. One of the main advantages of the RESS is its minimum number of enhancing parameters (only one), which when associated with an in-plane reduced integration scheme, circumvents efficiently well-known locking phenomena, leading to a computationally efficient performance when compared to conventional 3D solid elements. It is also worth noting that the element accounts for an arbitrary number of integration points through thickness direction within a single element layer. This capability has proven to be efficient, for instance, for accurately describing springback phenomenon in sheet forming simulations. A physical stabilization procedure is employed in order to correct the element’s rank deficiency. A general elasto-plastic model is also incorporated for the constitutive modelling of sheet forming operations with plastic anisotropy. Several examples including contact, anisotropic plasticity and springback effects are carried out and the results are compared with experimental data.     

The scale effect on the yield strength of nanocrystalline materials

The microstructure of the nanocrystalline can be divided generally into two parts: grain and interface. When the grain size is about or less than 10 nm, the interface can be divided into grain boundary and triple junctions. The mechanical performance of nanocrystalline materials with complicated microstructures is greatly different from that of the coarse grain materials. In this paper, the nanocrystalline material is considered as a composite with three phases: the grain core, the grain boundaries, and the triple junction. The model analysis for nanocrystalline material deformation is established and the relationship between yield strength and grain size is obtained. The obtained result explains the inverse Hall–Petch relation.     

Static yield stress of ferrofluid-based magnetorheological fluids

In this work, the yield stress of ferrofluid-based magnetorheological fluids (F-MRF) was investigated. The fluids are composed of a ferrofluid as the liquid carrier and micro-sized iron particles as magnetic particles. The physical and magnetorheological properties of the F-MRF have been investigated and compared with a commercial mineral oil-based MR fluid. With the addition of a ferrofluid, the anti-sedimentation property of the commercial MR fluids could be significantly improved. The static yield stress of the F-MRF samples with four different weight fractions (ϕ) of micro-sized iron particles were measured using three different testing modes under various magnetic fields. The effects of weight fraction, magnetic strength, and test mode on the yielding stress have been systematically studied. Finally, a scaling relation, , was proposed for the yield stress modeling of the F-MRF system.     

A simple isotropic-distortional hardening model and its application in elastic–plastic analysis of localized necking in orthotropic sheet metals

In the present work an elastic–plastic constitutive model including mixed isotropic-distortional hardening is presented. The approach is very simple and requires only experimental data that are part of the standard characterization of sheet metals. It is shown that the distortional hardening contribution can be of considerable importance for localized necking prediction in orthotropic sheet metals.     

From yield to fracture,failure initiation captured by molecular simulation

While failure of cracked bodies with strong stress concentrations is described by an energy criterion (fracture mechanics), failure of flawless bodies with uniform stresses is captured by a criterion on stress (yielding). In-between those two cases, the problem of failure initiation from flaws that moderately concentrate stresses is debated. In this paper, we propose an investigation of the process of failure initiation at the atomic scale by means of molecular simulations. We first discuss the appropriate scaling conditions to capture initiation, since system sizes that can be simulated by molecular mechanics are strongly limited. Then, we perform a series of molecular simulations of failure of a 2D model material, which exhibits strength and toughness properties that are suitable to capture initiation with systems of reasonable sizes. Transition from fracture failure to yield failure is well characterized. Interestingly, in some specific cases, failure exceeds yield failure which is in contradiction with most initiation theories. This occurs when stress are highly concentrated while little mechanical energy is stored in the material. This observation calls for a theory of initiation which requires that both stress and energy are necessary conditions of failure. Such an approach was proposed by Leguillon (2002). We show that the predictions of this theory are consistent with the molecular simulation results.