Finite element analysis of grain-by-grain deformation by crystal plasticity with couple stress

Rigid-plastic crystal plasticity with the rate-sensitive constitutive behavior of a slip system has been formulated within the framework of a two-dimensional finite element method to predict the grain-by-grain deformation of single- and polycrystalline FCC metals. For that purpose, individual grains are represented by several numbers of finite elements to describe the sub-grain deformation behavior, and couple stress has been introduced into the equilibrium equation to be able to describe the size effect as well as to prevent mesh-dependent predictions. A modified virtual work-rate principle with an approximate interface constraint has been suggested to use a C-0-continuous element in the finite element implementation, and the couple stress work-rate has been formulated on the basis of an assumed constitutive behavior. Simulated plane-strain compressions of a single crystal cube show that the shearing and the deformation load are closely related to the imbedded lattice orientation of the crystal grain, and that the sub-grain deformation and the load magnitude can be controlled by the couple stress hardening. It is also confirmed that almost the same predictions are obtained for different mesh systems by considering the couple stress hardening. Simulated plane-strain compressions of a bi-crystal show considerably curved grain-by-grain surface profiles after large reduction for several combinations of the imbedded lattice orientation. The high couple stress hardening predicted around grain boundaries is supposed to be related to the grain size effect. It is also supposed that consideration of couple stress is necessary to predict the sub-grain or the grain-by-grain deformation, and the couple stress hardening may be used to describe the state of microstructures in grain. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.