Numerical analysis of grain size and orientation effects in microscale compression with crystal plasticity

Date

2025-12-22

Author

Paçacı, Muhammet Batuhan

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This thesis investigates the grain-scale deformation behavior of polycrystalline copper under uniaxial compression through a systematic crystal plasticity finite element method (CPFEM). The study aims to quantify how microstructural parameters; grain size, grain orientation, and their coupled interactions govern the macroscopic mechanical response. Representative polycrystalline models are generated with varying grain numbers and orientations to examine their effects on deformation. First, convergence studies are carried out to determine the appropriate mesh and representative volume element sizes. Single-crystal analyses demonstrate that mechanical response and hardening characteristics are primarily dictated by Euler angles. Polycrystalline simulations revealed Hall–Petch-type grain-size strengthening and confirmed that intergranular constraint increases flow stress relative to single crystals. Analyses for polycrystals, introducing controlled orientation variation in all grains and changes restricted to central grain orientations, show that orientation effects diminish with decreasing grain size. The results demonstrate that the macroscopic response of polycrystalline copper arises from the combined effects crystallographic orientations and intergranular compatibility. It is observed CPFEM is capable of predicting the effects of grain size, grain orientation, and their coupling in face-centered cubic (FCC) metals.

Subject Keywords

Crystal plasticity, Grain orientation, Grain size effect, Microstructure

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/118330

Collections

Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Thesis