A cyclic anisotropic-plasticity model for metal matrix composites (Q1918366)

Previously proposed by the authors anisotropic yield surface is used to model the cyclic plasticity for directionally reinforced metal matrix composites. To this end, the authors resort to a non-associative flow rule and to the plastic potential function which is determined by means of a yield function as well as by means of a constrained one \((G=\omega f+(1-\omega) g,f=rMr-1\), \(r=G-T\eta\eta\), \(r\) being a constrained stress, and \(T=G\eta\eta\) a scalar reaction term in the direction \(\eta\), so that \(r\eta\eta=0\)). The constraint consists in the independence of the plastic stress increment of stress in the direction \(\eta\); the factor \(\omega\) accounts for the non-associativity of the rule. Other two tensors \(n^f,n^g\) are further introduced which describe unit normals to the surfaces \((f,g)\) as well as the direction of plastic strain \((n=\omega n^f+(1-\omega)n^g)\). The deviation of the plastic strain is measured by an angle \(\theta\), so that \(\cos\theta= nn^f=\omega+ (1- \omega)n^gn^f\). Different examples illustrate the capability of this formalism to control the plastic strain. The adopted hardening rule is of Phillips type: \(f=(\sigma-\alpha) (\sigma- \alpha)M-1\), with evolution rule \(\dot\alpha= \mu\dot\sigma\) and with the flow condition \(\dot f=0\). The plastic modulus is expressed using a cyclic loading rule which takes into account the distance between the yield and boundary surfaces and provides an appropriate formulation for given location of stresses and loading directions. The authors relate the evolution of the center of boundary surface to the back stresses and to the distances between stress points and their images. Finally, the stiffness matrix is derived, and a comparison with experimental data is given.