A neutron diffraction and modeling study of uniaxial deformation in polycrystalline beryllium

The deformation of polycrystalline beryllium to strains of +/-0.8 pct in uniaxial tension and compression was studied by neutron diffraction and modeled using an elasto-plastic self-consistent (EPSC) model. The beryllium response is asymmetric with respect to tension and compression in both the macroscopic behavior, as displayed in the stress/strain curve, and the microscopic lattice response. The EPSC model qualitatively reproduces the lattice strain curves in tension and compression with the assumption of pyramidal slip being active, in addition to prism and basal slip and with the inclusion of thermal residual stresses developed during processing. Although it underpredicts the magnitude of the observed strains, it demonstrates that accounting for residual stresses of thermal origin is crucial for understanding the evolution of lattice strains during uniaxial loading.