Characterization of dislocations and their influence on plastic deformation in single crystals

Abstract

After providing a rapid summary of some of the main results from a recently constructed theory of structured solids in [1], attention is focussed on the characterization of dislocations and the influence of dislocation density on plastic deformation G p by crystallographic slip in single crystals. The dislocation density is identified in terms of Curl G p and some (but not all) of the results established for the kinematics of crystallographic slip have their counterparts in the traditional developments of crystal plasticity. A two-dimensional crystal undergoing planar motion is used to illustrate predictive capabilities of the theory presented. It may be emphasized that the theory utilized here is applicable to materials of widely varying strengths and hardening characteristics, including ordered intermetallic alloys whose mechanical behavior is primarily governed by the dislocations (through Curl G p) and not by plastic deformation itself.