A simplified “polycrystalline” model for viscoplastic and damage finite element analyses

In the framework of classical polycrystalline models, drastic reductions of the numbers of slip systems and of “grains” are proposed. With a number of “grains” representing the texture of the material smaller than 10, good results are obtained either for initially isotropic fcc steel or anisotropic hcp zirconium alloy, with some predictive capacity despite the partial loss of physical relevance. Finite element analyses CPU times are not significantly increased as compared to advanced macroscopic models. Novel extensions of the polycrystalline model are developed for intergranular creep or void growth damage. This methodology increases the field of application of the polycrystalline approach in plastic anisotropy, cyclic plasticity, plastic instability and fracture, and in corresponding industrial problems.