A physically based model of temperature and strain rate dependent yield in BCC metals: Implementation into crystal plasticity

In this work, we develop a crystal plasticity finite element model (CP-FEM) that constitutively captures the temperature and strain rate dependent flow stresses in pure BCC refractory metals. This model is based on the kink-pair theory developed by Seeger (1981) and is calibrated to available data from single crystal experiments to produce accurate and convenient constitutive laws that are implemented into a BCC crystal plasticity model. The model is then used to predict temperature and strain rate dependent yield stresses of single and polycrystal BCC refractory metals (molybdenum, tantalum, tungsten and niobium) and compared with existing experimental data. To connect to larger length scales, classical continuum-scale constitutive models are fit to the CP-FEM predictions of polycrystal yield stresses. The results produced by this model, based on kink-pair theory and with origins in dislocation mechanics, show excellent agreement with the Mechanical Threshold Stress (MTS) model for temperature and strain-rate dependent flow. This framework provides a method to bridge multiple length scales in modeling the deformation of BCC metals.