Impact of microstructural mechanisms on ductility limits

In order to investigate the effects of microstructure and deformation mechanisms on the ductility of multiphase steels, a formability criterion based on loss of ellipticity of the boundary value problem is coupled with an advanced multiscale model accounting for intragranular microstructure development and evolution. The resulting large strain elastic–plastic single crystal constitutive law (based on crystal plasticity) is incorporated into a self-consistent scale-transition scheme. The present contribution focuses on the relationship between the intragranular microstructure of B.C.C. steels and their ductility. The model allows interesting comparisons in terms of formability limits for different dislocation networks, during monotonic loading tests applied to polycrystalline aggregates.