Spatial coupling in jerky flow using polycrystal plasticity

A multiscale approach including a finite element framework for polycrystal plasticity is used to model jerky flow, also known as the Portevin-Le Chatelier effect. The local constitutive behavior comprises the standard description of the negative strain rate sensitivity of the flow stress in the domain of instability. Due to stress gradients inherent to the polycrystal formulation, the spatial coupling involved in the spatio-temporal dynamics of jerky flow is naturally accounted for in the model, without using any ad hoc gradient constitutive formulation. For the first time, the static, hopping and propagating band types are recovered in constant strain-rate tests, as well as the temporal properties of the stress serrations. The associated dynamic regimes are characterized and found consistent with recent experimental evidence of both chaos and self-organized criticality in Al-Mg polycrystals.