Large strain inelastic state variable theory (Q1085666)

In this long and rather difficult to read paper, the author presents what he claims to be a mechanically sound, alternative theoretical structure for the modeling of anelastic solids. It is supposed to accommodate microstructural changes in the most natural manner. To that purpose the author uses a concept of state, of which the current one at time t is considered to determine the class of possible future deformations as well as the subsequent stress and free energy through a response functional. This rather formal approach is consonant with the present trend away from the formalism of infinite history-fading memory in the Coleman-Noll tradition. For solid-like materials, the material elements are modeled through the introduction of internal variables. The state space thus is of finite dimension. The whole general theory is formulated in the spatial or Eulerian context. This feature gives rise to relatively compact incremental constitutive forms of a type rather familiar to fluid rheologists. By way of conclusion several examples are presented which relate to hyperelasticity, large strain viscoelasticity and a description involving the modeling of dislocation distribution. The latter approach encompasses isotropic and kinematic hardening elastic-plastic models and recently proposed rate-sensitive models using anelastic strains as state variables.