Microstructural modeling in f.c.c. crystalline materials in a unified dislocation-density framework

A unified physically based microstructural representation of f.c.c. crystalline materials, has been developed such that evolving microstructural behavior at different physical scales can be accurately predicted. This microstructural framework is based on coupling a multiple-slip crystal plasticity formulation to three distinct dislocation densities, which pertain to statistically stored dislocations, geometrically necessary dislocations, and grain boundary dislocations. This interrelated dislocation-density formulation is then used with specialized finite-element modeling techniques to predict the evolving heterogeneous microstructure and the localized phenomena that can contribute to failure initiation as a function of inelastic deformation.