A method to extract slip system dependent information for crystal plasticity models.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Computational Mechanics
• Solid Mechanics

Background:

• Classical crystal plasticity models lack size effect, meaning grain size doesn't influence simulated deformation.
• Existing advancements include gradient-based constitutive models for length scale dependency.
• A novel approach is needed to incorporate size effects, particularly related to grain boundary phenomena.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a computational tool that implements length scale dependency in classical crystal plasticity simulations.
• To provide an alternative mechanism for size effect by modeling dislocation pile-up at grain boundaries.
• To enable the development of constitutive models incorporating complex grain boundary features.

Main Methods:

• The tool calculates slip distance in adjacent grains for each slip system, assuming slip spans the grain.
• It can perform calculations once at the start or dynamically during simulations with large deformations.
• Implementation involves a Fortran subroutine integrated with Python code for microstructure data extraction (e.g., from DREAM.3D).

Main Results:

• The tool successfully implements a length scale dependency by considering slip pile-up at grain boundaries.
• Computational cost is minimal for static analysis and depends on model complexity for dynamic analysis.
• The extracted data (slip distance, distance from boundary, slip system interactions) can be utilized in various crystal plasticity models.

Conclusions:

• The developed tool offers a viable method to incorporate size effects into crystal plasticity simulations.
• It provides a new perspective on the Hall-Petch effect through modeling grain boundary slip.
• The tool's modular design allows integration with existing classical and gradient-based crystal plasticity frameworks and can be adapted for further data extraction.