An improved procedure for acquiring yield curves over a large range of strains

Abstract

Acquiring a full range of yield curves is a long-standing challenge in material science and engineering. Such curves are extremely important for stress analysis using finite element simulation. In this article, we proposed an improved procedure integrating finite element analysis and hybrid particle swarm optimization to extract a post-necking yield curve from a smooth tensile round bar. The investigated material was 3Cr1MoV. The strain range of the yield curve was extended from 0.0681 mm/mm before necking to 1.5 mm/mm. The results revealed that curves obtained through this procedure are reliable and unique. Three notched round bars were designed to investigate the effects of stress triaxiality on the yield curves. We found that stress triaxiality has a significant influence on curves at large plastic strains (strain > 0.3 mm/mm) and has a negligible effect at low plastic strains (strain < 0.3 mm/mm). Studies revealed that the stress triaxiality-dependent yield curves are related to dilatational plasticity arising from nucleation and growth of voids.