Two-Temperature Thermodynamics for Metal Viscoplasticity: Continuum Modeling and Numerical Experiments

A physics-based model for dislocation mediated thermoviscoplastic deformation in metals is proposed. The modeling is posited in the framework of internal-variables theory of thermodynamics, wherein an effective dislocation density, which assumes the role of the internal variable, tracks permanent changes in the internal structure of metals undergoing plastic deformation. The thermodynamic formulation involves a two-temperature description of viscoplasticity that appears naturally if one considers the thermodynamic system to be composed of two weakly interacting subsystems, namely, a kinetic-vibrational subsystem of the vibrating atomic lattices and a configurational subsystem of the slower degrees-of-freedom (DOFs) of defect motion. Starting with an idealized homogeneous setup, a full-fledged three-dimensional (3D) continuum formulation is set forth. Numerical exercises, specifically in the context of impact dynamic simulations, are carried out and validated against experimental data. The scope of the present work is, however, limited to face-centered cubic (FCC) metals only.