Gradient plasticity used for modeling extrinsic and intrinsic size effects in the torsion of Au microwires

Abstract

The gradient plasticity theory proposed by Aifantis and coworkers has been successfully used to model size effect phenomena at the microscale and nanoscale, by introducing into the formulation an internal length scale associated with the phenomenological coefficients of the gradient plasticity model. In this paper, Aifantis’ gradient plasticity theory is applied to model the sample size-dependent torsion of thin wires, with a strain-dependent internal length scale as well as grain size dependence based on the Hall-Petch relationship. This study reveals that internal length scale is related with sample size and grain size, with such a connection determined by the ductility of the material.

Keywords

• gradient theory
• internal length scale
• microstructure