An orthotropic yield criterion in a 3-D general stress state

An anisotropic yield criterion with a general representation was suggested. The yield criterion was derived from the use of the invariants of the stress tensor, similar in constructing an isotropic yield criterion, but which contains a “three-yield-system hypothesis” specifying the state of anisotropy. When applied to rolled sheet metals, such as high strength steels and aluminum alloys, the criterion can be treated in an analytical form to facilitate analyses of engineering problems under a general triaxial stress state. For this specified form, anisotropic properties of the predicted yield surface were characterized by seven experimental results obtained from three standard uniaxial-tension tests and one equibiaxial-tension test. When the applied material becomes isotropic it is transformed back to the form of the von-Mises’s criterion. Since the convexity of the yield criterion was proven in its general type, the characterized criterion is valid as a plastic potential in the implementation of finite element programs. It was shown, in full agreement with experimental data, that the accuracy of predicted yield surface was similar to that of predicted by the polycrystal model. Considering the equibiaxial-tension data, in general, may be not available from material supplies, a formulated relation covered variables of the equibiaxial tension and uniaxial tension was proposed. The relation can be used to calculate the equibiaxial-tension yield stress from the experimental data in uniaxial tensions. Several calculated results showed very close to the experimental results.