Modeling lattice strain evolution at finite strains and experimental verification for copper and stainless steel using in situ neutron diffraction

An elasto-plastic self-consistent (EPSC) polycrystal model is extended to account, in an approximate fashion, for the kinematics of large strains, rigid body rotations, texture evolution and grain shape evolution. In situ neutron diffraction measurements of the flow stress, internal strain, texture and diffraction peak intensity evolutions were performed on polycrystalline copper and stainless steel, up to true tensile strains of ε = 0.3. Suitably adjusted slip system hardening model parameters enable the model to quantitatively describe the flow stress of the polycrystalline aggregate. Quantitative predictions of the texture evolution and the internal strain evolution along the stress axis are good, while predictions of transverse internal strains (perpendicular to the tensile loading direction) are less satisfactory. The latter exhibit a large dispersion from grain to grain around a macroscopic average, and the implications of this finding for the interpretation of in situ neutron diffraction method are explored. Finally, as a demonstration of the applicability of the model to problems involving finite rotation, as well as deformation, simulations of simple shear were conducted which predict a texture evolution in agreement with published experimental data, and other modeling approaches as well.     

Multiaxial yield behavior of 1100 aluminum following various magnitudes of prestrain

The multiaxial yield and flow behavior of metals has been of interest for many years. Recently, the experimental work of Phillips & Lee [1979], Shiratori et al. [1979] and Ohashi [1982] has been quite notable in this field. These authors have concentrated their efforts in measuring yield loci after small to moderate prestrains (≤0.06). In this paper we discuss small strain yield loci we have measured after prestrains between 0.03 and 0.05 in torsion. These experiments on 1100 aluminum are in general agreement with the literature. They show a translation, distortion and expansion of the yield loci. A rounded nose forms in the direction of prestrain with the yield locus flattering opposite the prestrain. We observed that the distortions change to match the strain direction after very small reversals in prestrain.The subsequent yield locus has also been measured after a large torsional prestrain of γ=0.5. Using a 5 × 10^?6 offset criterion for yielding, the shape, distortion and translation of the yield locus was very similar to that found after the smaller prestrains. In addition a large-strain yield locus, using a back extrapolation technique, was determined for the same sample. This yield locus exhibited close to von Mises isotropic expansion. The observed deviations, while slight are extremely important. They match those predicted by a polycrystal slip model. Thus, the small-strain yield locus, after a large prestrain, appears to be determined largely from dislocation considerations only, where as the large-strain yield locus is determined by the developing texture. Finally, aluminum sheet was deformed by rolling to larger prestrains ?^{von Mises} = 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 and subsequently tested in plane strain compression. Two types of compression experiments were done, one such that there was no deformation mode change from rolling, the other rotating the direction of zero strain by 90° producing a stress path change. The large strain yield and flow behavior of these experiments was again predicted using the relaxed constraint polycrystal model of Kocks & Canova [1981]. For these very large prestrains the experiments and texture theory differ. Micrstructural observations have shown the presence of micro-shear bands which resulted from the rolling prestrain. We speculate that these features are responsible for the deviation from crystal plasticity theory.We believe that this work points to several operative mechanisms of deformation. Small-strain yielding (5 × 10^?6) appears to be controlled purely by dislocation mechanisms and interactions even after relatively large prestrains. Large-strain yielding, on the other hand, is controlled by texture after moderate prestrains (at least to γ = 0.5). After large prestrains, obtained by rolling, the experiments deviate from texture based predictions. This is possibly the result of microstructural deformation mechanisms, for example micro-shear bands, playing a role in the deformation process.     

Multiscale modeling of plasticity based on embedding the viscoplastic self-consistent formulation in implicit finite elements

This paper is concerned with the multiscale simulation of plastic deformation of metallic specimens using physically-based models that take into account their polycrystalline microstructure and the directionality of deformation mechanisms acting at single-crystal level. A polycrystal model based on self-consistent homogenization of single-crystal viscoplastic behavior is used to provide a texture-sensitive constitutive response of each material point, within a boundary problem solved with finite elements (FE) at the macroscale. The resulting constitutive behavior is that of an elasto-viscoplastic material, implemented in the implicit FE code ABAQUS. The widely-used viscoplastic selfconsistent (VPSC) formulation for polycrystal deformation has been implemented inside a user-defined material (UMAT) subroutine, providing the relationship between stress and plastic strain-rate response. Each integration point of the FE model is considered as a polycrystal with a given initial texture that evolves with deformation. The viscoplastic compliance tensor computed internally in the polycrystal model is in turn used for the minimization of a suitable-designed residual, as well as in the construction of the elasto-viscoplastic tangent stiffness matrix required by the implicit FE scheme.Uniaxial tension and simple shear of an FCC polycrystal have been used to benchmark the accuracy of the proposed implicit scheme and the correct treatment of rotations for prediction of texture evolution. In addition, two applications are presented to illustrate the potential of the multiscale strategy: a simulation of rolling of an FCC plate, in which the model predicts the development of different textures through the thickness of the plate; and the deformation under 4-point bending of textured HCP bars, in which the model captures the dimensional changes associated with different orientations of the dominant texture component with respect to the bending plane.     

Dynamics of texture evolution in face-centered cubic polycrystals

Texturing of polycrystals under slip-dominated plastic deformation is driven by reorientation velocity fields that arise from the lattice spin that accompanies restricted slip. Here, the dynamics of reorientation velocity fields are analyzed to isolate mechanisms by which textures develop and dissipate. Two tools are introduced to enable this analysis: linear stability analysis to assess behavior of equilibrium orientations, and a parametrization of lattice spins to enable analysis of fields without equilibria. This toolkit is applied to face-centered cubic (FCC) polycrystals and sheds new insight into texture development under three representative deformation modes: plane strain compression, pure shear and simple shear.     

An analytical micro-macro model for textured polycrystals at large plastic strains

An analytical micro-macro model of evolving plastic anisotropy is presented that is suitable for numerical simulation of forming processes. The model is based on the combination of a polycrystal model and different analytical procedures for writing anisotropic plastic potentials, expressing their coefficients in terms of texture coefficients, and updating the texture coefficients as function of the (tensorial) strain increment. The use of a fourth-order dual plastic potential (“C4”) in the analytical micro-macro model is studied, and this use is compared with that of Hill's [1948] yield criterion and also with the usual run of the Taylor model. The coefficients of the C4 potential depend linearly on the texture coefficients, which are updated using a variational polycrystal model. The analytical operation of this updating lies on the method first proposed by Eslinget al. [1984] and is described and checked in some detail. The predictions of the analytical micro-model compare well with measurements of the Lankford coefficient, provided the C4 potential is used. The predicted texture evolution is also in a good experimental agreement: a better one than with the Taylor model, which in some cases, gives a poor updating. The theoretical stress evolution during biaxial or plane-strain tension is experimentally consistent too, although in that case the C4 potential, closer to Taylor's model, makes no improvement as compared with Hill's quadratic criterion.     

Microstructural effects on yield surface evolution in cubic metals using the viscoplastic ?-model

Polycrystalline yield surfaces of metals are a good way to characterize the anisotropy of plastic deformation. The evolution of these surfaces is impossible to accurately reproduce without taking into account the evolution of the material microstructure such as texture development. In this paper, a numerical computation of yield surfaces using the viscoplastic ?-model is proposed. Results concerning face-centered cubic metals subjected to a plane strain compression test are presented. The influence of several mechanical parameters (strain hardening, strain rate sensitivity coefficient and accumulated deformation) on subsequent yield surfaces evolution is studied. The analysis of the change in the shape and size of the yield surfaces shows that the results depend strongly on the parameter ? which controls the strength of the interactions in the polycrystal. In addition, the predictions are compared to the widely used viscoplastic self-consistent model as well as to experimental yield loci taken from the literature for various aluminum alloy sheets. A fairly good qualitative agreement between our ?-model results and the experimental ones is found. The probable links between the parameter ? and the microstructural features such as the stacking fault energy and the grain size of the polycrystal are also briefly discussed.     

Constitutive modeling of textured body-centered-cubic (bcc) polycrystals

A new latent hardening model for body-centered-cubic (bcc) single crystals motivated by the inapplicability of the Schmid law (Critical Resolved Shear Stress Criterion) is presented. This model is based on the asymmetry of shearing resistance of the {112} slip planes depending on the shearing direction in the sense of ‘twin’ and ‘anti-twin’. For the interpretation of deformation of polycrystalline aggregates depending upon initial texture, a constitutive law for bcc single crystals is developed. This law is based on a rigorous constitutive theory for crystallographic slip that accounts for the effects of strain hardening, rate-sensitivity and thermal softening. The deformation response of textured polycrystal is investigated by means of a Taylor type averaging scheme and an established numerical procedure. Results for textured tungsten polycrystals at low and high strain rates for two different textures [001] and [011] are presented and compared with experimental results. The predictions compare well with experimental observations for the [001] texture. In the [011] texture, due to the reduced symmetry of deformation, lateral tensile stresses develop even under uniaxial compression. These lateral tensile stresses are responsible for observed lack of ductility and transgranular failure in the [011] texture.     

Transition theories of elastic-plastic deformation of metallic polycrystals

Summary A general approach to the problem of determination of elastoplastic behavior of metallic polycrystals at finite deformation is presented. The relation between moving dislocation density and global slip rate for grains is developed. Transition to grain response is obtained by introducing the hardening matrix. Field equations for heterogeneous elastoplastic metals are transformed into an integral equation, using Green functions technique. This allows to find the spin of the lattice related to texture formation.Scale transition is achieved by a self-consistent approximation of the integral equation. New results concerning BCC metals (sheet steel) are presented. They apply to tensile test, Lankford coefficient, initial and subsequent yield surfaces, and evolution of the internal state of the polycrystal: second-order residual stress, stored energy and texture evolution.     

Fast calculation of average Taylor factors and Mandel spins for all possible strain modes

The average Taylor factor of the crystallites of a polycrystalline material and the average spins (‘spin’ here means rate of rotation) of the crystal lattices (Mandel spin) are functions of the strain mode to which the material is subjected. These functions can be very helpful when constructing material models to be used by elastic–plastic FE simulations of forming processes in which the anisotropy due to texture, back stress etc. is taken into account. These functions can be calculated from the crystallographic texture. It is shown in the present paper, that a calculation done for all possible strain modes can be organised in a very efficient way. This is made possible by the Fourier series expansion method used in quantitative texture analysis. The newest calculation method which uses this methodology is 400 times faster than one which would not, and this with sufficient accuracy. This makes it possible to incorporate calculations of complete yield loci in FE simulations without prohibitive increase in computer time.     

Elastic/crystalline viscoplastic finite element analyses of single- and poly-crystal sheet deformations and their experimental verification

The elastic/crystalline viscoplastic constitutive equation, based on a newly proposed hardening-softening evolution equation, is introduced into the dynamic-explicit finite element code “Itas-Dynamic.” In the softening evolution equation, the effective distance and the angle between each slip system of a crystal are introduced to elucidate the interaction between the slip systems, which causes a decrease of dislocation density. The polycrystal sheet is modeled by Voronoi polygons, which correspond to the crystal grains; and by the selected orientations, which can relate to the texture, they are assigned to the integration points of the finite elements. We propose a direct crystal orientation assignment method, which means that each integration point of finite element has an assigned orientation, and its orientation can be rotated independently. Therefore, this inhomogeneous polycrystal model can consider the plastic induced texture development and subsequent anisotropy evolution. The parameters of the constitutive equation are identified by uni-axial tension tests carried out on single crystal sheets. Numerical results obtained for sheet tensions are compared with experimental ones to confirm the validity of our finite element code. Further, we investigate the following subjects: (1) how the initial orientation of single crystal affects slip band formation and strain localization; (2) how the grain size and particular orientations of the grain affect the strain localization in case of a polycrystal sheet. It is confirmed that the orientation of a single crystal can be related to the primary slip system and the deformation induced activation of that system, which in turn can be related to the slip band formation of the single crystal sheet. Further, in case of a polycrystal sheet, the larger the grain size, the more the strain localizes at a specific crystal, which has the particular orientation. It is confirmed through comparisons with experiments that our finite element code can predict the localization of strain in sheets and consequently can estimate the formability of sheet metals.     

Modeling texture evolution in equal channel angular extrusion using crystal plasticity finite element models

A new approach to modeling crystallographic texture evolution in Equal Channel Angular Extrusion (ECAE) is presented in this paper. The proposed approach utilizes an elastic–viscoplastic single crystal constitutive model implemented in a finite element framework. A representative volume element of the polycrystal is subjected to boundary conditions that simulate the approximate deformation history experienced by different regions of the sample (at different through-thickness depths) in both Route A and Route C processing. The proposed approach aims to capture the influence of the complex interactions that ensue among the constituent individual crystals of a polycrystal in controlling the texture evolution in the sample, while capturing the boundary conditions inherent to ECAE deformation. The predictions from the proposed approach are compared against previously reported experimental measurements in ECAE of copper. It is observed that the proposed approach provides significantly better agreement with the measurements when compared against previously reported model predictions.     

Polycrystal constraint and grain subdivision

Typically, intergranular constraint relations of various sorts are introduced to improve the accuracy of prediction of texture evolution and macroscale stress–strain behavior of metallic polycrystals within the context of simple polycrystal averaging schemes. This paper examines the capability of a 3-D polycrystal plasticity theory (Kocks, U.F., Kallend, J.S., Wank, H.-R., Rollett, A.D. and Wright, S.I. (1994), popLA, Preferred Orientation Package—Los Alamos. LANL LA-CC-89-18), based on the Taylor assumption of uniform deformation among grains, to predict texture evolution and stress–strain behavior for complex finite deformation loading paths of OFHC Cu. Compression, shear and sequences of deformation path are considered. It is shown that the evolution of texture is too rapid and that the intensity of peaks is more pronounced than for experimentally measured pole figures. Comparisons of both stress–strain behavior and texture evolution are made with experiments, with and without the inclusion of latent hardening effects. It is argued that grain subdivision processes accommodate intergranular kinematical constraints, leading to the notion of a generalized Taylor constraint that considers the distribution of subgrain orientations. The subdivision process is assumed to follow the experimentally observed refinement of low energy dislocation structures associated with geometrically necessary dislocations. A modification of the kinematical structure of crystal plasticity is proposed based on generation of geometrically necessary dislocations that accommodate a fraction of the plastic stretch and rotation at the scale of a grain.     

Modeling anisotropic strain hardening and deformation textures in low stacking fault energy fcc metals

The main issues and challenges involved in modeling anisotropic strain hardening and deformation textures in the low stacking fault energy (SFE) fcc metals (e.g. brass) are reviewed and summarized in this paper. The objective of these modeling efforts is to capture quantitatively the major differences between the low SFE fcc metals and the medium (and high) SFE fcc metals (e.g. copper) in the stress–strain response and the deformation textures. While none of the existing models have demonstrated success in capturing the anisotropy in the stress–strain response of the low SFE fcc metals, their apparent success in predicting the right trend in the evolution of deformation texture is also questionable. There is ample experimental evidence indicating that the physical mechanism of the transition from the copper texture to the brass texture is represented wrongly in these models. These experimental observations demonstrate clearly the need for a new approach in modeling the deformation behavior of low SFE fcc metals. This paper reports new approaches for developing crystal plasticity models for the low SFE fcc metals that are consistent with the reported experimental observations in this class of metals. The successes and failures of these models in capturing both the anisotropic strain hardening and the deformation textures in brass are discussed in detail.     

Texture predictions using a polycrystal plasticity model incorporating neighbor interactions

A viscoplastic model is presented for distributing the deformation applied to a polycrystal in a non-uniform fashion among the constituent crystals. Interactions with surrounding crystals are incorporated in the calculation of the deformation rate of each crystal through an appropriately defined local neighborhood. A compliance tensor is computed for each crystal based on a viscoplastic constitutive relation for deformation by crystallographic slip. The compliance of the crystal relative to that of its neighborhood provides a means for partitioning the macroscopic deformation rate among the crystals. The deviation of the crystal deformation rate from the macroscopic value is suitably scaled to obtain the crystal spin. Polycrystal simulations of crystallographic texture development using this model are compared to the results of similar calculations using the Taylor model, to finite element simulations of a model polycrystal, and to experimental data. The model incorporating neighbor interactions is shown to result in improved texture predictions, in terms of both the intensity levels and the locations of certain texture components.     

On the strain hardening and texture evolution in high manganese steels: Experiments and numerical investigation

We present a systematic investigation on the strain hardening and texture evolution in high manganese steels where twinning induced plasticity (TWIP) plays a significant role for the materials' plastic deformation. Motivated by the stress–strain behavior of typical TWIP steels with compositions of Fe, Mn, and C, we develop a mechanistic model to explain the strain-hardening in crystals where deformation twinning dominates the plastic deformation. The classical single crystal plasticity model accounting for both dislocation slip and deformation twinning are then employed to simulate the plastic deformation in polycrystalline TWIP steels. While only deformation twinning is activated for plasticity, the simulations with samples composed of voronoi grains cannot fully capture the texture evolution of the TWIP steel. By including both twinning deformation and dislocation slip, the model is able to capture both the stress–strain behaviors and the texture evolution in Fe–Mn–C TWIP steel in different boundary-value problems. Further analysis on the strain contributions by both mechanisms suggests that deformation twinning plays the dominant role at the initial stage of plasticity in TWIP steels, and dislocation slip becomes increasingly important at large strains.     

Investigating the limits of polycrystal plasticity modeling

A material model which describes the rate-dependent crystallographic slip of FCC metals has been implemented into a quasistatic, large deformation, nonlinear finite element code developed at Sandia National Laboratories. The resultant microstructure based elastic–plastic deformation model has successfully performed simulations of realistic looking 3-D polycrystalline microstructures generated using a Potts-model approach. These simulations have been as large as 50,000 elements composed of 200 randomly oriented grains. This type of model tracks grain orientation and predicts the evolution of sub-grains on an element by element basis during deformation of a polycrystal. Simulations using this model generate a large body of informative results, but they have shortcomings. This paper attempts to examine detailed results provided by large scale highly resolved polycrystal plasticity modeling through a series of analyses. The analyses are designed to isolate issues such as rate of texture evolution, the effect of mesh refinement and comparison with experimental data. Specific model limitations can be identified with lack of a characteristic length scale and oversimplified grain boundaries within the modeling framework.     

Texture and strain localization prediction using a N-site polycrystal model

Most polycrystal models of plastic deformation rely on the assumption that strain and stress are uniform within the domain of each grain. Comparison between measured and predicted textures suggests that this assumption is realistic for most single-phase aggregates and crystal symmetries. In this paper, we implement a self-consistent N-site model that allows one to account for strain localization and local misorientation near grain boundaries. We apply this model to face centered cubic (fcc) and hexagonal close packed (hcp) aggregates, and analyze the similarities and differences with a one-site model that assumes uniform stress and strain-rate within a grain. We find that the assumption of uniformity is justified in first order. We discuss the implications of the N-site model for the simulation of systems with hard inclusions, orientation correlations, and recrystallization mechanisms.     

Texture gradient simulations for extrusion and reversible rolling of FCC metals

A texture simulation method is described for some complex plane strain deformation paths during hot shaping of FCC metals. The method employs both finite element calculations and a polycrystal plasticity model based on the Relaxed-Constraints (RC) Taylor hypothesis and a viscoplastic constitutive law. We have considered the {111}<110> slip systems and the {100}, {110}, {112} <110> non-octahedral slip systems. The finite element codes simulate the strain paths of material flow during a shaping process. The local velocity gradients, expressed in the macroscopic reference coordinates, are rewritten in the local flow line coordinates using a kinematic analysis for steady-state flow. Secondly, for the different deformation paths, the RC polycrystal plasticity model is used to numerically simulate the local deformation texture evolutions as a function of depth. Texture simulations are carried out for two deformation processes combining hot compression and shear: extrusion and reversible rolling. For extrusion, the simulated pole figures and ODFs show the typical texture variations through the thickness of an extruded 6082 aluminium alloys, i.e. (β-fibre in the centre and a TD rotated copper component near the surface. It is shown that hot reversible rolling should develop a strong pure shear texture {001}<110> near the surface.     

Role of strain-rate sensitivity in the crystal plasticity of hexagonal structures

In the first part of this paper the stress and strain-rate response of hexagonal crystal structures are examined when slip is viscoplastic according to a power law. The stress and strain-rate equi-potential surfaces are constructed and discussed as a function of the strain-rate sensitivity index m. The second part of this paper deals with the case of linear viscous slip; i.e., for the case when m is equal to one. A simple analytic solution is presented to obtain the deviatoric stress state for a given strain-rate. It is shown that the plastic spin is not zero for m = 1 in hexagonal crystal structures, contrary to the cubic case where the plastic spin vanishes. In addition, the rate of texture evolution in simple shear of a magnesium polycrystal is examined as a function of m.