Generalized continuum modeling of scale-dependent crystalline plasticity

The use of metallic material systems (e.g. pure metals, alloys, metal matrix composites) in a wide range of engineering applications from medical devices to electronic components to automobiles continues to motivate the development of improved constitutive models to meet increased performance demands while minimizing cost. Emerging technologies often incorporate materials in which the dominant microstructural features have characteristic dimensions reaching into the submicron and nanometer regime. Metals comprised of such fine microstructures often exhibit unique and size-dependent mechanical response, and classical approaches to constitutive model development at engineering (continuum) scales, being local in nature, are inadequate for describing such behavior. Therefore, traditional modeling frameworks must be augmented and/or reformulated to account for such phenomena. Crystal plasticity constitutive models have proven quite capable of capturing first-order microstructural effects such as grain orientation (elastic/plastic anisotropy), grain morphology, phase distribution, etc. on the deformation behavior of both single and polycrystals, yet suffer from the same limitations as other local continuum theories with regard to capturing scale-dependent mechanical response. This research is focused on the development, numerical implementation, and application of a generalized (nonlocal) theory of single crystal plasticity capable of describing the scale-dependent mechanical response of both single and polycrystalline metals that arises as a result of heterogeneous deformation.;This research developed a dislocation-based theory of micropolar single crystal plasticity. The majority of nonlocal crystal plasticity theories are predicated on the connection between gradients of slip and geometrically necessary dislocations. Due to the diversity of existing nonlocal crystal plasticity theories, a review, summary, and comparison of representative model classes is presented in Chapter 2 from a unified dislocation-based perspective. The discussion of the continuum crystal plasticity theories is prefaced by a brief review of discrete dislocation plasticity, which facilitates the comparison of certain model aspects and also serves as a reference for latter segments of the research which make connection to this constitutive description. Chapter 2 has utility not only as a literature review, but also as a synthesis and analysis of competing and alternative nonlocal crystal plasticity modeling strategies from a common viewpoint. The micropolar theory of single crystal plasticity is presented in Chapter 3. Two different types of flow criteria are considered - the so-called single and multicriterion theories, and several variations of the dislocation-based strength models appropriate for each theory are presented and discussed.;The numerical implementation of the two-dimensional version of the constitutive theory is given in Chapter 4. A user element subroutine for the implicit commercial finite element code Abaqus/Standard is developed and validated through the solution of initial-boundary value problems with closed-form solutions. Convergent behavior of the subroutine is also demonstrated for an initial-boundary value problem exhibiting strain localization. In Chapter 5, the models are employed to solve several standard initial-boundary value problems for heterogeneously deforming single crystals including simple shearing of a semi-infinite constrained thin film, pure bending of thin films, and simple shearing of a metal matrix composite with elastic inclusions. The simulation results are compared to those obtained from the solution of equivalent boundary value problems using discrete dislocation dynamics and alternative generalized crystal plasticity theories. Comparison and calibration with respect to the former provides guidance in the specification of non-traditional material parameters that arise in the model formulation and demonstrates its effectiveness at capturing the heterogeneous deformation fields and size-dependent mechanical behavior predicted by a finer scale constitutive description.;Finally, in Chapter 6, the models are applied to simulate the deformation behavior of small polycrystalline ensembles. Several grain boundary constitutive descriptions are explored and the response characteristics are analyzed with respect to experimental observations as well as results obtained from discrete dislocation dynamics and alternative nonlocal crystal plasticity theories. Particular attention is focused on how the various grain boundary descriptions serve to either locally concentrate or diffuse deformation heterogeneity as a function of grain size.