A phenomenological variational multiscale constitutive model for intergranular failure in nanocrystalline materials

We present a variational multiscale constitutive model that accounts for intergranular failure in nanocrystalline fcc metals due to void growth and coalescence in the grain boundary region. Following previous work by the authors, a nanocrystalline material is modeled as a two-phase material consisting of a grain interior phase and a grain boundary affected zone (GBAZ). A crystal plasticity model that accounts for the transition from partial dislocation to full dislocation mediated plasticity is used for the grain interior. Isotropic porous plasticity model with further extension to account for failure due to the void coalescence was used for the GBAZ. The extended model contains all the deformation phases, i.e. elastic deformation, plastic deformation including deviatoric and volumetric plasticity (void growth) followed by damage initiation and evolution due to void coalescence. Parametric studies have been performed to assess the model's dependence on the different input parameters. The model is then validated against uniaxial loading experiments for different materials. Lastly we show the model's ability to predict the damage and fracture of a dog-bone shaped specimen as observed experimentally. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.