Applications of Crystal Plasticity in Contact Mechanics

Abstract

The microstructures of structural metals and alloys are highly heterogeneous due to their crystalline structure often coupled with multiple phases and inclusions, yet most contact mechanics models assume the material is homogeneous and usually isotropic. This is a severe limitation if one desires to quantify the influence of different microstructure attributes on the mechanical behavior. This limitation is overcome through the finite element method using crystal plasticity models. Examples of normal, sliding, and fretting contacts are presented.

Effect of Pre-Added HfO2 Inclusions on Carbide Morphology and Deformation Behavior in DZ125 Nickel-Based Superalloy

“…The differences in material properties between inclusions and the superalloy matrix lead to localized stress/strain concentrations during the deformation process. Experimental methods have faced difficulty in observing stress/strain fields in microstructures, whereas crystal plasticity (CP) simulations can effectively study the distribution of plastic deformation stress/strain fields induced by inclusions [22,23]. Shenoy et al [24] utilized CPFEM analysis to investigate inclusions' roles in fatigue crack initiation in superalloys.…”

Subsurface crack formation and propagation of fretting fatigue in Ni‐based single‐crystal superalloys

“…CPFEM is based on the dislocation slip on the crystallographic slip plane, which matches the deformation mechanism of NBSX . Studies have shown that crystal plasticity can provide more accurate results of stress and strain fields than traditional J 2 plasticity theory . However, the application of CPFEM on fretting fatigue in single‐crystal superalloys and the constitutive model considering cyclic plastic behavior and anisotropy need to be further developed.…”